You Reap What You Sow (Norminah AU)

Let Them Die

"Don't fuck this up, don't fuck this up, don't fuck this up." Normani whispers to herself, concentrating on keeping her hand perfectly steady.

"Kordei, I'm not sure if you can do this. Do you need me to take over? You seem more than a little nervous." Everyone turns and stares at the older man, glaring at him and telling him to be quiet.

"Mr...Cowell, is it? I know you've been in this line of work for about twenty years if I'm correct, but you are new to this hospital, and the way we work here. In this hospital I am the best neurosurgeon, I have five different doctorate degrees, ten years of experience and I'm a goddamn black woman. If I can't do it, no one can." Normani turns back to the operation, letting out a deep breath before leaning down and slowly cutting the scar tissue from the hippocampus, before removing the damaged nerves and placing the wad of bloody flesh on the side table. The entire room lets out a huge breath, before clapping their hands, relieved to have another operation successful.

"Great job, Normani." One of the doctors pat her on the back as she finishes up the surgery, stitching up the tissue and setting the skull, wrapping the patient's head up in sanitation gauze. They crew cheers as she makes her way out of the operating room, and she ignores Cowell's envious glare as she leaves victorious for the umpteenth time. She immediately takes her gloves off and makes her way to her office where she changes out of the bloody smock and mask she's had on all day, changing into something more comfortable. The walks out of the building and to her black Mercedes Benz, unlocking the door and climbing inside. She takes off to her gigantic Texan home, jamming out to the radio along the way. She makes it home and is greeted by the smell of strong marijuana, making her crinkle her nose in distaste before searching for the source of the rancid smell.

"Lauren, what the hell?!" Normani glares at the sight of Lauren laying on her (very expensive) couch, passing a joint to some strangely familiar woman with dark hair.

"Oh hey Mani, what's up?" Lauren smiles in a haze, her body relaxed and sprawled out on the couch.

"What's up? What's up is you got some random chick in my house smoking trees, when I told you not to bring that shit in here after three o'clock. I worked my ass off today at work, and I come home to this shit!"

"Woah, chill Manz, I was gonna clean this up when you got home. And she isn't random, this is Lucy, remember that stripper I liked from Ally's bachelorette party ten years ago? I saw her at Walmart today, can you believe it?" Lauren explains, way too high to be taken down by Mani's anger.

"I'm going to go shower and pick up the kids, when I come back I want this house spotless, I want this weed smell gone and I want Lucy out." Normani's fuming for more than one reason; she's been letting Lauren stay with her for months now, because Lo was pretty devastated after Camila cheated on her, and they broke up shortly after. They have an on again, off again relationship, but this "off" season seemed to be getting way too long for Normani's liking. Lauren gets money by stealing cars and selling them, making thousands of dollars every time she leaves the house. But she continually drinks and smokes way too often and way too much, and it's ruining the tranquility in Normani's household. It's already hard enough to raise two adopted kids on her own, but she has to deal with Lauren leaving joints and liquor everywhere she lays, and it's getting out of hand.

Normani turns away to storm upstairs, but stops as she remembers something she wanted to tell Lauren.

"Oh and, your wife called today, she said she misses you and wants you to come home." Normani may have stretched the truth in spite to ruin whatever Lauren had going with Lucy, Camila and Lauren never did get married after all these years. But she can't help but revel in Lucy's angry words as she walks upstairs...