Bates Motel Page #10

NORMAN:

Thank you. Thank you. That’s

extremely -- good -- of you. We’re

all good here. Everything’s fine.

Except for this carpeting -

Romero studies him, finds him peculiar, but nods with minimal

politeness. Shelby shakes his hand. Gets that he’s nervous.

Smiles at him to reassure him.

NORMA LOUISE:

Sheriff Romero wanted to see what

we’re doing with the place. I

guess you’re a little interested in

design?

ROMERO:

I wouldn’t put it that way.

He is on his own agenda. Taking everything in. Checking out

the vibe. Senses tension but isn’t sure why. Just keeps

looking at everything while Norma babbles -

NORMA LOUISE:

Well, it’s a rare man that is. I

know nothing bored my late husband

more, may he rest in peace -

ROMERO:

You’re a widow? I’m so sorry -

But he doesn’t look so sorry. Norma smiles at him, sadly...

NORMA LOUISE:

Six months ago. We’re trying to

get used to it.

(then; “the brave widow”)

Anyway, onward. Redesign -

50.

ROMERO:

(not going to stand around

and talk design)

Can I use the bathroom?

Norma and Norman want to vomit. A tiny beat, then...

NORMA LOUISE:

This bathroom? This bathroom is

broken -

ROMERO:

What’s wrong with it?

NORMA LOUISE:

It’s not flushing.

ROMERO:

All these toilets do that. I told

Summers he needed to replace them

ten years ago. You’ve got to

jiggle the chain -

Norma is frozen. F***! What should I do! What can I do?

And he knows Keith Summers! F***!

ROMERO (CONT’D)

I’ll take a look at it.

And HE WALKS IN THE BATHROOM. Norma and Norman can barely

breathe but they have to try and look normal. We HEAR ROMERO

start peeing in the BG. Romero, a little embarrassed, looks

at Norma -

SHELBY:

Nice night.

NORMA LOUISE:

(barely able to get words

out)

Yes.

The peeing continues. And continues. This is the longest

f***ing pee in the world. Shelby takes Norma and Norman’s

discomfort to be some kind of gentility. He smiles, trying

to divert their attention. THE MOST TENSE SMALL TALK IN THE

HISTORY OF SMALL TALK -

SHELBY:

So where are you from?

NORMA LOUISE:

Arizona. Outside of Scottsdale.

51.

SHELBY:

Oh! I was in Arizona once.

(awkward silence)

Well I drove through it. It was at

night. Very pretty. You could

smell the sage -

(more silence; just trying

to keep it going)

The air at night there is like

nothing I’ve ever felt anywhere -

The peeing continues. Norma and Norman are dying a slow

death. Waiting for the moment to come when Romero sees the

body. Waiting...

NORMA LOUISE:

Yes, the air at night is lovely in

Arizona.

Silence, them...

NORMAN:

The air here at night is nice too.

Silence, then...

SHELBY:

Yes. It is. Very nice.

And finally, blessedly, the peeing stops. We HEAR the toilet

handle jiggling. Then FLUSHING. Romero steps out.

ROMERO:

You just need to jiggle it.

Norma and Norman can’t believe it. He didn’t f***ing see the

body -- Romero’s WALKIE TALKIE starts -

MAN’S VOICE (O.S.)

...Unit 1, multiple vehicle

collision on highway 101 at South

Bay. Multiple injuries...

He motions “let’s go” to Shelby. They both nod to Norma.

ROMERO:

Evening, ma’am. Get the boy to

bed.

And miraculously, they are out the door. STAY ON THE FROZEN

NORMA AND NORMAN as they don’t move, can’t move, until they

HEAR THE ENGINE START UP AND SEE THE LIGHTS DRIVE AWAY.

52.

STAY ON MOTHER AND SON IN THE DIMLY LIT ROOM, just having

been handed their lives back. Relief and exhaustion. Norman

falls into the floor, just breathing. A beat, then -

NORMA LOUISE:

(to spent to have any

emotion in her voice -

flat)

He didn’t wash his hands.

CUT TO BLACK:

END ACT THREE:

53.

ACT FOUR:

INT. BATES HOUSE/NORMAN’S ROOM - DAY

Early the next morning. Birds chirp cheerfully outside.

FIND NORMAN, asleep in his clothes, total exhaustion. Passed

out. NORMA’S HAND REACHES INTO FRAME and shakes him firmly.

NORMA LOUISE:

Norman you have to wake up. We

have to get you to school and you

have to be on time -

Norman tries to catch up, still half asleep. Remembers

“there’s a dead man in our tub”. It’s kind of horrifying and

depressing. The nightmare isn’t over.

NORMAN:

Mother, I only slept like two

hours. I can’t go to school -

NORMA LOUISE:

Norman you have to go to school.

I’m tired too. I drove two hours

down to Fortuna to dump all that

carpeting and bed linens. Sooner or

later that guy is going to go

missing and people are going to

start asking questions. Our

behavior has to be COMPLETELY

NORMAL AND CONSISTENT. So get up

and get ready. We have to get

through today like it’s just

another day. We’ll figure out

tonight where to get rid of -- it.

(then)

Hurry up. Breakfast is on the

table.

She clips out of the room. STAY ON NORMAN a beat, no idea

how he’s going to get through this day.

INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - LATER

Norman, in a living stress dream, stands in line for food at

the cafeteria. Gets some food. Looks for a table. Sees

Bradley and her friends but just avoids her today. He’s too

upset. Too exhausted. Too strung out. He takes his food

and quietly goes to a table in the corner. Sits down. Tries

to take a few bites. It’s not sitting well. He pushes it

away. Sh*t, it’s REALLY not sitting well. He jumps out and

runs out -

54.

EXT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

As Norman bursts through the cafeteria door, feeling food

coming back up his throat, feeling dizzy and hot, and needing

a place to hurl because it’s happening, he leans over an open

trash can and starts puking. Richard and some GUYS walk by

on their way in the cafeteria.

RICHARD:

He’s new. He’s not used to the

food yet -

Laughs/groans. They disappear inside. STAY ON NORMAN, done

but still leaning over the trash. Humiliated. Sick.

Disgusted. In the middle of this reverie of self-loathing we

FIND...

EMMA DECODY (15), cute and energetic. Extremely bright.

Slim, athletic body. Has a a subtle, girl-next-door sex

appeal to her, but maybe she’s not to aware of it yet.

Something still childlike about her - or her perception of

herself. Most notedly, she rolls a PORTABLE OXYGEN TANK

along with her and has the classic oxygen tube directly under

her nose. Aside from that you would never know there was

anything wrong with her. She looks at Norman, concerned...

EMMA:

Make sure you’re done. Don’t try

to cut it short just because it’s

embarrassing. Get it all out or

you will just have to do this

again.

Norman pulls his head out of the trash. Sees this eccentric

girl standing there. Cute, eccentric girl.

NORMAN:

Um, I think I’m done.

She opens a mint box from her large purse. Offers him one.

EMMA:

Mint will calm your stomach.

He takes one.

NORMAN:

Thanks.

EMMA:

I’m kind of an expert on vomiting.

(matter of fact; almost

cheery)

(MORE)

55.

EMMA (CONT'D)

Yeah, I have CF so I’ve been on

meds my whole life. Some of them

give you any number of hideous side

effects.

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