Trapped

Chapter Two: A New World

"Stay awake. Nestor, please. Please." she whispers as he looses consciousness. His eyes slowly slip shut as he continues to struggle for air. Vera's vision blurs as tears form in her eyes and run down her cheeks.
"Please, Nestor. Don't die. Don't leave me, Ness." she whispers. She gently runs her thumb along his dark eyelashes, her eyes memorizing every little detail of this man's face. She knows she shouldn't be feeling this way toward a man who is not her boyfriend. Renn has always been a nice guy and was even friendly toward Nestor. But she just doesn't feel toward him what she feels with Nestor. She can't imagine a life that doesn't involve Nestor. A world where he isn't in it. She can't bare the thought.
"Vera, you need to step away." Freddie says as the paramedics walk inside. Vera cannot hear Freddie, her focus solely on Nestor's ridiculously dark eyelashes. It has always been one of her favorite parts of him.
"Vera, come on." Max says, grabbing her arm gently. Vera tears her arm away, refusing to leave.
"You gotta get her to move." One of the paramedics says. Max and Freddie nod and grab Vera by both arms, dragging her away.
"No! No, don't touch me! Nestor!" she cries out, fighting against her friends. They pull her across the studio and out the door. The sun shines down brightly on her, making her eyes burn. She looks around at the dirt on the ground and then at the boys who are watching her with frightened looks.
She reaches up for them and they kneel down, hugging her tightly. She sobs into their shoulders as they console her.
"He can't die." she whispers, pulling away.
"He won't." Freddie says, earning a punch in the thigh from Max who gives him a stern look.
"We can visit him at the hospital. It'll be alright Vera." Max says, grabbing her hand.
"We will stay with you. You're not going to be alone." Freddie says, taking her other hand.
"Thank you." she whispers, looking down at her hands that cling to these young boys. She imagines what life would be if she were Norma. She knows her life is hectic but she can't help but envy her. She has a family. Two sons who love her. And she has Alex, a man who is head over heels for her but she can't see it! She wants that life. She wants kids and a husband to wake up to every morning.
The doors open, pulling Vera from her thoughts. The paramedics roll Nestor out on a stretcher, a mask covering his nose and mouth as a man squeezes a bulb, giving him oxygen. Vera gasps and rises from the dirt, running toward him. She grabs his hand with both of hers.
"Nestor." she whispers, tears running down her cheeks once again. Freddie grabs her arms again, gently pulling her away. She runs to Max's running car where he waits for her in the driver's seat. Once Freddie gets inside as well, Max drives behind the ambulance toward the hospital.

The sound of a buzzing phone awakes Nestor from his deep slumber. He groans and grabs it from the nightstand, glancing at the picture. He smiles as he sees Vera's picture fill his screen. He clicks the green button and holds it up to his ear.
"What's the problem?" he asks.
"Why do you have to answer the phone like that?" she asks. He chuckles. "What happened to hello?" she asks.
"Fine, hello. What's the problem." he asks with a smirk.
"Can I just meet you in five minutes? I need to ask you something." she says impatiently.
"Aren't we talking right now?" Nestor asks, pushing himself up on his elbow.
"Well it's not a phone thing. It's an in person thing. It's important."
"Alright, when?" Nestor asks, closing his eyes again.
"It needs to be now." His eyes snap open.
"Now? I'm not even awake."
"You don't have to be awake. You just have to be there. Okay, i'll see you in a few minutes." she says stubbornly. Nestor smiles at this stubborn woman and at the excitement of seeing her. Before he can say anything else, she hangs up the phone. He sighs and sits up, glancing at the unfamiliar room. Where is he? He doesn't remember falling asleep here. In fact, he doesn't remember even leaving the set last night.
Nestor stands up and walks to the mirror, staring at himself. He eyes the wound on his upper chest. His fingers touch it gently, wondering when that scar came to be on his skin. He doesn't remember ever having it. Maybe Vera could help explain things to him. He grabs a black t shirt and pulls it on along with some jeans. By the time he is finished getting ready, there is a soft knock on his door.
He quickly opens it and stares at Vera in her Norma costume. Her usually brown hair is stuffed up in her blonde wig. She tries to walk inside of his house but Nestor doesn't move. He won't move until she explains things.
"Am I late?" he asks.
"What? What're you- never mind. Listen, Norman got released and he is home. But they're gonna make him go back unless I get him into this private place, Pineview." she says, stuffing her hands in her pockets. His eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. Why is she acting like Norma?
"It's beautiful. The people there, they know what they're doing. But I don't have any insurance and I can't even get him on the waiting list without it." she says, blushing slightly. Nestor remains silent, trying to figure this out. Are they pulling a prank?
"And I was thinking, I need insurance and you have it...and I thought that maybe, you could marry me." she says. Nestor is caught off guard by this proposition. What? Marry her?
"It's not like you're doing anything else. Please, it's a...it'll just be on paper. I'm not asking for an actual marriage. I know you're attracted to me. I'll sleep with you." she says with a shrug.
Nestor blushes at that comment. Vera knows about his crush?
"I don't care. I really don't. I just...I need you to do this for me."
"Okay..no. I'm...Im...Im not gonna marry you, alright?" he says, not knowing what is going on. She knows he has a wife, doesn't she? And what about her boyfriend?
"It's that big a deal to you?" she asks. Nestor looks away, wanting things to make sense.
"Look, you're an attractive woman. I'm sure you'll find someone else pretty quickly." he says.
"Okay...I will. F..fine. All right, thanks." she says, breathing heavily. He was about to give in to this woman when she turns and walks away. Nestor closes the door. Was that...Norma? I mean this is Alex's house so maybe-
No. No it's not possible. There's no way he is in the world of Bates Motel. But that sure would explain a lot. Maybe...maybe he isn't crazy. Maybe he really is living life in Alex's shoes. But why him? Did anyone else from the cast get sent here? Or is he alone in this scary world?