Chapter 3: We need help
Summary: It seems that everything returns to normal, but decidedly fate has other plans, in a way provoked by themselves (Richard and Camille, of course)
Notes: I have tried to put a little humour in the dialogue. To reflect that, although they appreciate Richard quite a bit by now, those who love him can't help but mess with him a little bit.
Chapter Text
An hour after arriving at the ER, Richard is still patiently waiting for Camille to finish testing and more endless tests.
"Richard, has that plant ever caused you any allergies? You'll have to excuse me, but I don't understand that I haven't done anything to you in all this time and it´s causing so much trouble for Camille. Catherine asks him.
Richard stares at her with concern. He cannot be offended. He understands it perfectly. And he knows that he has no logic at all.
"I don't understand it either, really. If it were a case, I would tell you that it doesn't make any sense. Let's hope they can already tell us something ", he says distractedly.
Distractedly because, although he is not particularly fond of the flora and fauna of the island, he is an observant man. And that plant seems a bit strange to him. He doesn´t remember it. Being night, he had not noticed at first glance. But as he and Camille made their way to the vehicle, he marveled at the speed of growth of some species on the island. And now he realizes that, even in the Caribbean, that isn´t normal.
"Camille, honey! How do you feel?" itñ s Catherine who utters these words. Richard was no longer even aware of the passage of time.
"Maman! I'm fine." They hug and Camille looks at Richard with a wink. She sees his concern on his face and want to reassure him.
"Can you tell us what happened to you?" his mother asks her once the hug is undone.
"I have had an "abnormally strong skin rash." You have some very dangerous plants, Richard." She comments looking at him. "Do you have them trained?" She tries to joke about the whole thing.
"Camille, I can assure you that I had no idea what kind of effect it produced. Believe me, as soon as I get home, I will burn it. " He answers it seriously.
"OK honey. Can you go home now? Did they send you something? " her mother interrogates her.
"Okay, yes. It seems that, incredibly, I have very sensitive skin or that´s very strong. They have sent me a corticosteroid cream to see if it can end the irritation. It seems to have an allergic component that strange plant."
They´re already heading towards the exit while having the previous conversation. Then Camille asks Richard, "Could you take me to your shack? In the rush I have left my bag there. Because they know me here and they already have my data, otherwise I would have had a problem. Besides, I want to see how you burn it."
Richard, thinking that he won't get much rest tonight anyway, nods and says, "Catherine, I'm taking you home. I don't trust how quickly a taxi can arrive if you call him now," he offers.
"Very kind, Richard, thank you," Catherine answers, although thinking that, being she who had ordered the taxi, surely they would arrive much earlier than if he had ordered it for himself.
They all get into the police vehicle, heading straight for the house - bar of Catherine "La Kaz".
Once they arrive at La Kaz, quite late, they meet Dwayne, who is on the phone with Fidel:
"Yeah, don't worry, man. I'll call you right away, they didn't know anything about what was happening here, but I already see the Chief" he's interrupted by Fidel "yes, I know, the last time we saw him he was going to the shack to rest" he says while looking at Richard, which already has a face that reflects exhaustion" but seeing the bandage on Camille's arm, they must have gone to the hospital. That´s why Catherine wasn´t at the bar. Everyone is fine. Now I'm calling you" concludes Dwayne. "What happened, Chief? Everyone is fine?".
"Yes, thank you, Dwayne. Camille had brushed against a plant or something near my shack that gave her a pretty strong allergic reaction. But everything is solved. What were you doing here?"
"I called Camille's mobile phone and no one answered and hers didn't even give a sign of being alive. So I got worried." In fact, he thought otherwise, but he was careful not to say it and took the opportunity to make a getaway to La Kaz. Seeing them arrive at Catherine's bar, he "changed" their conversation timely.
"I see" Neither Camille nor Richard, who look a little blushing, believe this version, but they prefer not to continue with the subject.
Richard and Camille are too tired to realize how many "holes" in Dwayne's story. Although they imagine it.
"Already. Well, we are fine. Camille is taking me home to pick up her bag, which is why she didn't answer calls and goes straight home to sleep. Right, Camille?" he says addressing her directly.
"The faster the better, I'm dead"
They then say goodbye to Catherine, who had been amused by talking to one of the waitresses in case something had happened in her absence, and they leave.
When they get to the shack they get out of the vehicle and go directly to where the bag is. They have barely exchanged three sentences. It is located on the table on the varanda. Camille is amazed.
"You have some very honest neighbors, Richard! You got lucky!" she comments.
"I have no neighbors, Camille. Although if they did, they would surely avoid my company." He is really very tired.
"In case they didn't know you, Richard. You know it's not my case, not Dwayne's, not Fidel's, not Harry's, or ..."
"Enough, Camille. I´ve understood. I am appreciated. And I think it's time to say that I sincerely appreciate it. I consider it an honor." Camille looks at him in amazement and he continues: "I think it was about time I said it. By the way, I know we've talked about burning the plant, but I'm really exhausted. How about we stay for tomorrow morning? We meet around ten thirty. You can come a little earlier and we have breakfast and talk then. Do you think it's OK?" Camille's mouth is still open.
She walks over, walks around him, takes a careful look at his head for a blow, and suffers a concussion and replies:
"I think it's wonderful, Richard. I am really exhausted too and would love to have breakfast with you. Rest well. I'll do it too." She says goodbye to him and kisses him on the cheek. This time he returns the kiss. On the cheek too.
When Richard turns around, once Camille has driven off the police vehicle, he thinks:
"Normally when you have breakfast with someone it´s because the night has been memorable, but in this case we will have to settle. The night has certainly been memorable, but not as she and I would have liked. This is always better than saying that the date has lasted all night when what you've been talking about is a book. "
"Right, Harry?" he says this time aloud when he sees the lizard staring at him.
The next morning Camille shows up on time. Richard has already set the table with breakfast. There is tea, coffee, croissants, toast, two boiled eggs….
"What a feast!" Camille comments in amazement. "It makes my mouth water. Thank you!"
"You're welcome. As I didn´t know what you would want and wanted to start as soon as possible with the burning of the hateful bush, I wanted to have everything ready." Answer uncomfortable. Realizing that he hasn´t yet asked how she is, he says: "How are you? You seem to be calmer."
Camille looks at him and, smiling at him, sits down and says:
"I am still a bit uncomfortable. But that cream works miracles. Thank you. Let's sit down and get started. I am hungry and I have sworn it to the tree."
They do so. They talk about a thousand topics: work, time ... They avoid talking about what worries them both at the end. And they know it. Camille thinks about whether he will want to broach the subject when the burning is done. When they have finished breakfast and Richard has packed everything up, not allowing Camille to help him with anything, they go to the amazing bush near their shack. Richard has a kind of security fence to prevent unwanted fires, of course! And sets it on fire. Use a liquid product that will accelerate combustion.
When they wake up, they find themselves in ... a hospital? Camille, after waiting for the daze to subside, sits up looking at everything around her carefully and comments:
"Richard, are you okay? What happened? We are not at the Saint Marie hospital"
Richard looks at her and doesn't know what to answer. But, unlike her, he does have at least a suspicion of where they can be found. He senses problems.
Notes: In the next chapter we will change the scene and, yes, we will learn the lethal characteristics of the bush. Even its scientific name!