*My story idea ended after Part 4 but Isa knew there was more. Clever girl.*

Part 5 of 6

Camille, still shocked and weakened by everything that has happened, watches her companions leave, her companions who were almost forced by The Law to lock her up because all the evidence pointed directly at her! She turns and walks to the end of the veranda before turning back to face Richard and barking, "Do you have any idea of the ordeal I've been through because you were missing? I didn't remember anything at all! I thought… I thought you were... we thought you were dead!"

Richard looks at her indignantly, "May I remind you, Sergeant, that you abandoned me in the bloody Caribbean Sea in bloody shark-infested waters in the middle of the bloody night! God only knows what wanted to take a bite out of me. And besides..."

Richard sees the look of genuine concern on her face and some of the truth slips out, "And the knock on the head made me feel so disoriented, like when I came to the island, so very strange. I couldn't remember why I was in the water." He stops. He can't help but think how desolate he'd felt without remembering Camille. Life on the island made no sense without her. "I think I went into shock. I must have fallen asleep over there in the trees. I woke up surrounded by insects! That's when I remembered everything; the shack, my life here… and you."

He stares at her, still looking weak and lost, but less insecure than before.

She smiles finally, "Did you really think I abandoned you? When my memory suddenly returned, I remembered what we were doing, or trying to do, on the boat when you got nervous and stood up. Do you remember that too, Richard?"

Richard looks at her. At last the light reaches his brain and he laughs with a slight blush. He puts his head back into his hands. He's downright exhausted.

Camille stares at him in worry. She doesn't feel very strong either. "Richard, I think we're going to go inside now and get something to eat, okay? I need it too. For a moment..." She reaches down and takes his hands, making him look up at her in puzzlement, "For a moment… I really thought you might be gone… and it terrified me!"

Richard squeezes her hands affectionately, "Camille, I'd never leave you. I'm here with you and we're both fine even though we may have matching headaches. I need to rest and eat something, I don't know in which order. I think I'll eat first. You should eat something too."

They get up and walk calmly into the shack. Upon entry, they meet Harry. Is that mockery in his beady little eyes? Richard shakes his head and thinks he's going crazy. He needs order in his brain and in his life. He looks to Camille thinking maybe he has it within his grasp at last.

Half an hour later, Richard and Camille are sitting on the veranda. They have cold meat with French bread and are now enjoying tea as Camille was not in the mood to make coffee. They have been silent while eating but Camille then asks, "Do you remember everything that happened here last night, Richard?"

For once he doesn't look away, "Of course, I remember. Now. I think I can say I have never been kissed that way and I have never kissed anyone that way either." She laughs. "But I can assure you that I would repeat everything… except the disastrous ending when I went overboard. I thought I heard someone loitering on the beach. That's why I got so nervous and stood up. It was a seriously reckless move. After that, everything went foggy." He falls silent. Something is troubling him and it's NOT the kiss or the fall.

"Richard, what I don't understand is what happened BEFORE that. We were like crazy things! And hitting our heads doesn't explain this whole mess. By the way, remind me to take you to the ER." Richard looks at her with disdain since he isn't the only one who might need it. "Well, let's both go. Something isn't right. I know I can hold my drink, but you?"

Richard almost gets up from his chair and lifts his voice again, "Is that what you think? I was drunk? I drank in London. You've seen me drink beer here. Even rum! And I didn't end up under the table much less so drunk that I would fall out of a boat!"

Camille raises her hands to calm him. He sits back down and she continues, "Okay, I apologize. If we weren't drunk and we hadn't hit our heads yet… then I'm afraid there's only one possible explanation left for us falling in the boat… and I don't think you'll like it any more than I do."

Richard looks at her seriously, almost angry again. Surely she isn't going to suggest that he was so overcome with passion that he lost his balance? He gulps. She's right, of course, he WAS overcome with passion because he is in love with her… but is she in love with him? He takes a deep breath and waits for her next words but what she says is not what he expects. Not at all.

"Someone put something in our drinks at La Kaz."

He blinks at her in surprise, resets his brain, and thinks back. Thinks back and rises to his feet.

Camille gets up at the same time and tries to reassure him, "Richard, Richard, calm down! This is just a hypothesis for now although I would say it's more than probable. But we can't do anything about it right now." They both sit back down, "First of all, most importantly, do you want us to go to the hospital now to get a checkup?"

He shakes his head; he's too tired, he wants his home. "I'm fine, Camille, a little weak but nothing that a good rest won't cure." She frowns and he relents, "But if you want, let's go tomorrow. Both of us. I suspect that the substance that could have been put into our drinks last night is probably gone from our bodies since I no longer feel dizzy or disoriented. I promise you, we'll go to the hospital tomorrow first thing in the morning before the crowds."

She stares at him and says, "Well, I'm not staying calm by myself. I'm going to stay with you tonight, Richard." He freezes, petrified but she continues with some disdain, "Take it easy, I think neither of us are in any shape to do anything spectacular tonight. Well, maybe some preliminaries but ..." seeing his gaze, she continues, "I think it's the best way to keep an eye on each other and take care of each other too. And finally, we're going to be the talk of the island if people find out what happened here last night ... but it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't? Are you sure?" Richard asks, suddenly worried about gossip and the blow to Camille's reputation. It never even occurs to him to worry about his own.

"Yes, Richard, I'm sure. To tell the truth, I was terrified that something terrible had happened to you. I don't dare leave you now until I feel calmer."

Richard smiles at her tenderly; he thinks he can count on the fingers of one hand when someone has cared (and suffered) for him in this way... and never for the adult Richard. "Thank you, Camille. It would be absurd to deny the obvious, wouldn't it? I will consider it quite an honour and... I can´t promise nothing spectacular will happen tonight. You are warned. What I CAN say is that we don´t need alcohol or drugs to find out that we really want."

Camille smiles back, "Wow, I see that your English chivalry disappears at times. Well, what can we do? Nobody is perfect all the time, not you, and certainly not me!"

And, as the day wanes, it turns out that it's a GOOD thing this little house is so isolated with no close neighbours. After all, ANY thing can happen here without interference or interruption or noise complaints.

Thank goodness.

END – part 5