Naomi Bennett quotes from Private Practice

Naomi

Thank you for agreeing to see me. I know how angry you are and how much you blame me, rightfully so...

I don't want your apologies. Dr. Montgomery said you had something that you needed to say to me, so why don't you just say it?

Naomi

Amelia came to see me...

[to Addison] You told Amelia?

Addison

No, I told you I wouldn't.

Naomi

Amelia came to me. She knows you're hiding something. She knows that there's something wrong with the baby.

So now you want to atone by talking me into something that I don't want to do?

Naomi

Zoe, listen, when all this happened, I did not want to talk you into keeping the baby. All I wanted was for you to see things from all sides. It was not about me. This was so you could feel as okay with what was going to happen as you possibly could given what we did to you, given what I did to you, what I did to you. I wasn't the one who changed your mind. It was Amelia, and it was you, knowing that it was the best thing given the circumstances.

Naomi

We had a deal, William. Hiring was my responsibility and you went around me. You knew that I would object to his research, his attitude and ultimately his hiring.

I was aware that you might object to some of his research, yes. Okay, would object. But he became available, there were other people interested, I had to make a decision. Think of the potential, sickle cell, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, his work has the ability to change the face of medicine as we know it, that's what you and I wanted.

Naomi

He has no moral center. He supports eugenics. He wants me to help him design a baby.

That's what you do, Naomi! When you weed out for disease. You're afraid of the slippery slope, but you're already on it.

Naomi

Maybe, but I am not skiing down it.

I'm not asking you to accept him, I'm telling you. Find a way to make it work.

Naomi

Once we start down the road of choosing characteristics for our children, I don't... I don't know where that ends. It's not something that our practice does. I do want to work with you, I do, but, um...

[picks up a picture of Naomi's daughter] Your daughter?

Naomi

Uh, yeah.

[sits down next to Curtis] She's very pretty, she looks just like you.

Naomi

Thank you, you know I... I never really see the resemblance, but...

Of course you don't, you take it for granted having a child that looks like you. But what if someone told you you couldn't have your daughter? Your own daughter, who's like you in so many ways.

Naomi

Even if you don't select for dwarfism, your child will be a part of you.

What do you see when you look at me? It's a hard question for a tall person to answer, because all you see is the dwarf.

Naomi

No, no I don't.

When I look at Curtis, I see an accountant. A husband. And those things are what our friends see. If we have a child who's five ft. ten, they'll look at him the other way people look at us.

What if you had a 50/50 chance of having a white baby? Would you want a white baby?

Naomi

It's not the same thing.

It is. You'd love that white baby, but everyday people would question whether she was yours. They'd whisper, like they'll whisper about our tall child. Would you want that for your child?

We're not asking you to clone us, we're just asking what any other parent would come in and ask for.

We want what you have, how is that crossing a line?

Naomi

I was fat. As a kid, I... I was fat. I don't mean to suggest that it's comparable, but everyone has their own scars to bear. We all have our insecurities and they're painful and persistent and they're ours. I don't want to compare painful anecdotes with you, I'm just saying that in some small way I do understand.

A small way?!

In our group of friends, a tall child will be Lurch or giant or Godzilla.

Naomi

But if he's healthy, he'll survive it. I did. You did. But I cannot implant a sick embryo, no matter what Dr. Fife promises you about future breakthroughs, I cannot do it. But what I can do is help you to have a healthy baby, and whether's he tall or medium or small, when you hold him in your arms, he will be yours. And you'll love him. Is that all that really matters? That's what I can give you.

Sam

[about their daughter] She's 15 years old, she's becoming her own person. We got to give her room.

Naomi

Room to what? Roll around on the couch with some boy named Dink.

Sam

Well maybe we should meet him, you know? See what kind of a guy he is.

Naomi

He's the kind of guy who had his hands all over your daughter's...

Sam

Hey, hey, hey.

Naomi

Do you remember what you were like when you were his age? [pause] Oh, yeah, well, you're not a good example. But this Dink person, he looks like a scruffy little hormone.

Sam

Okay, I will talk to her about him.

Naomi

Talking's good, but yelling's fine too.

Dell

What am I apologizing for? I did the right thing. Heather's face was burned off, you know, she burned her face off getting high. Really think I should've let Betsy into that room?

Naomi

Okay, you're in mourning and, uh, you are my friend and you you've been through Hell, so I've been really gentle with you. But I think I am not going to be gentle with you anymore, I think I'm just going to tell you the truth, because that's what I would want you to do for me. Are you okay with that, if I'm not gentle anymore?

Dell

Yes.

Naomi

Okay, I think you should've let her in that room. I think you should've let her say goodbye to her mother, I think Pete was right and you owe him an apology. And I think Betsy has a right to be pissed. I would be pissed too, seven or 37. I would be pissed.

Naomi

You can't walk.

You're black. What game are we playing?

Naomi

The day that you found out, when they told you that, uh, your legs, that you would, you would never walk again. That must've been the worst day of your life. How did you deal with it?

Why would you assume that was my worst day? Losing my legs changed my life, but, uh, certainly didn't ruin it. There's a period of adjustment, but you deal with it.

Sam

Do you remember the day Maya lost her first tooth? It fell out in the yard, we spent about four hours looking for that thing because without proof, the Tooth Fairy wouldn't pay up. And then there's today. You know, we're going to get through this, once this whole thing is over and done, we're going to get back there. Say something! Anything!

Naomi

What do you want me to say? You want me to say I did the wrong thing? Okay, I did the wrong thing. Do I believe I'm going to Hell for forcing our daughter to have an abortion? Absolutely. Do I regret doing what I had to do? No. I would do anything, I would give my life to protect her, and if that means I'm going to Hell then fine, I'm going to Hell.

Sam

Naomi...

Naomi

I failed, Sam. I failed. First in our marriage, and now being a mother.

Sam

No! This is on both of us.

Naomi

I thought I taught her right from wrong. She didn't listen, it's like nothing I did made any difference. I failed.

Naomi

I tried. I tried to engage, but I was too late. And now I... Do you know, I used, I used to think of myself as a good person. You know? I was a good friend, a good mother, and a good ex-wife. Something happened and now I... You know, I didn't get it... What you went through, with Lucas, and walking away, I didn't get it. And I know Maya's not like that, but I get it now, I do. I'm sorry.

Violet

You don't get it. You don't... I didn't walk away from my child because I couldn't deal with him, or because I wanted to control what he did. For me, walking away was the... most awful thing in my life, but I, I made a choice, because I thought it was in my child's best interest. I was just... to damaged to do anything but hurt Lucas. So, I walked away, not to avoid him or to control him but to save him. But Nay, you just didn't get your way, so you want to walk away to avoid figuring out what comes next.

Naomi

[To Fife over William White] What do you have against him? Hey, what?

William White doesn't know you! He just likes the idea of you, you'd be like, uh, a trophy in his case. That's what you do for him. But since I read once when you're fighting for a girl you love you shouldn't put down the competition because it makes you look insecure, I'll bring it back to me. Um, I know I'm abrasive, I know I'm snide, but you make me a better person. That's what you do for me.

Addison

Nay, Sam and I never meant to have feelings for each other, it just happened. But it never went anywhere because of you, please don't be mad at me.

Naomi

Mad?!

Addison

Nay!

Naomi

[to Sam] Did you ever love me?

Sam

Don't be ridiculous.

Naomi

Was I second choice? When did all this start? When we were in med school?

Addison

No!

Naomi

[to Addison] What, when you were maid of honor at my wedding?

Addison

It's not like that, Naomi.

Naomi

It is like that. I... I can't stop wondering. Everything is tainted with this. He... he is the father of my child, Addison, there's a bond there. And maybe I should expect you to understand that, but you don't get friendship.

Addison

That's why we backed off, Naomi. Friendship.

Naomi

I'm second guessing everything that's ever happened between us. Plus, every good memory of our marriage, of our friendship. No, no I am not mad, you two have broken my heart.

Naomi

Okay, I'm going to give you five minutes. You've got five minutes to sulk about what everybody said about you in there. You've got five minutes to cry and scream and to call them every bad name in the book. [Violet tries to interrupt] And then when those five minutes are up, you're going to walk back into that courtroom and you're going to fight for your son.

Violet

I can't...

Naomi

I'm sorry, but the clock is ticking.

Violet

I can't. Damn it, Naomi. You know, maybe he's better off without me, okay? Maybe I am a terrible mother.

Naomi

Wait, that does not mean that you quit! Yes, there will be times when you let your child down, there will be times when you do the wrong thing, there will be times when you are a horrible mother, but that does not mean that you quit. It means that you fight harder. That's what I should have done. So, go back in there and fight. Fight for the both of us.