Part 3 of 5

It is done. Carlton and the doctor meet in the driveway, stopping briefly to confer before Carlton comes to meet Camille at the door. "Hello, Detective Sergeant," he drawls, "himself having another fit, is he?"

She frowns, "Don't say that! I'm so worried! Come in, he's sleeping but, from what Maman told me about his last fever, he's due to start raving any minute now." Before the words are out of her mouth, they both hear a shout from inside. "What did I tell you?" she mutters as they hurry in.

Richard is tangled in his sheets and fighting them, calling for Ru, whoever that is, "Ru! Ru! The ropes, cut the ropes!" Camille dives to his side, catching at his waving hands as Carlton wrings out another facecloth and puts it on Richard's forehead. Together they manage to calm him.

"Camille, there you are! Where's Ru? He's late!" Richard pants, holding her hands hard.

She smooths his hair back, croons softly, "Ru isn't here, Richard, I am. And look who's come to help!" She points to Carlton who smiles with a perfect bedside manner.

Richard goggles, "Carlton? Didn' I 'rest you? No, wait, I didn', did I, 'cause you were helpin' people an' usin' yer resources wisely. Yes, I'm sure I didn' but maybe I did. Are we in prison?"

Carlton laughs low, "No, Inspector, we're in your home here on the beach. You have another fever and I'm going to stay with you until morning. Doctor Johnson wants someone with you through the night. I'll be very quiet and make sure you take your pills on time."

Richard listens to all this with a dazed look before replying, "Well, good, I'm glad someone's takin' care o' me this time. Last time was awful. I los' half a stone in jus' 2 days, imagine!" Then he leans towards Carlton and gestures for him to bend down. Carlton does and Richard whispers loudly, "Just as long as Camille helps me with my showers. I promised her." He lay back with a satisfied sigh and goes limp.

Carlton's eyes raise slowly to meet Camille's horrified ones across the bed. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to. He looks like someone whose suspicions have been proven true.

Once again, Camille is on the defensive, "He did NOT… I mean, he DID, but he… he got the wrong idea and then… um…" She can see Carlton isn't buying it so she finally grits out, "Well, he's raving, isn't he? I can't help what he says when he's crazy with fever, can I?" Just as her words drop into the silence, Richard reaches out and takes her hand without opening his eyes.

Camille immediately falls mute and bites her lip but doesn't pull her hand away. Instead she simply looks at Carlton with embarrassed resignation.

Carlton huffs a low laugh, "That's alright, Sergeant, I already know. It was pretty obvious at the station."

"Was it?" she whispers, "Who was the obvious one? Him? Or me?"

Carlton nods to the sleeping man, "Him, mostly, but you too. Why aren't you a couple yet? It's written all over your face… and his when he's awake and you're not looking. You two belong together."

She twists her free hand into the sheet, "Well, it's complicated. We both have trust issues and not much luck on the romance-front. I guess we're just scared of rejection."

Carlton scoffs, "Huh, I wouldn't have thought that a problem. He's brilliant, you're dynamite, the two of you are a seamless partnership at work so why not in your personal life too?" He glances down at Richard's temporarily peaceful face, "Besides, he seems pretty taken with you on a physical level. That was pretty restrained wooing on his part but he IS English so maybe that's his version of 'risqué'?"

Camille smiles tiredly, "I never thought about it before, maybe that's something else that's been holding us back. If that was his idea of 'risqué' then I've missed it every time he tried it." She looks down at the sleeping man and whispers, "Oh, Richard, have I missed your attempts to get my attention, hmmm?" She leans down, kisses him chastely, "Well, I'm listening now and I won't miss any more."

Carlton clears his throat politely and stands, "I'll just get set up, shall I? Will you be staying?"

Camille smiles fondly now, "Yes, I think so, if you don't mind?"

"Not as all, the more hands the lighter the work. I'll take the first shift. Why don't you have a lie down?" He looks about, "Where's the sofa?"

Camille sighs, "There isn't one. I'll bunk down out on the veranda where the ocean will lull me to sleep. Call me if you need me, OK?" She takes the throw off the back of one of the rattan chairs and slips outside, snuggles down, and drifts quickly off to sleep, to dream wonderful hopeful rosy dreams.

It's full dark when she's shaken awake by a firm hand on her shoulder. Before she can say anything, Carlton's voice is in her ear, "He's awake, he won't settle, he's calling for you." She's out of the chair with a bound and to the bedside in a trice and sees with some disappointment that Richard is now wearing a new pair of boxer shorts.

She catches Richard's hand, folds it to her heart, smooths a cool palm across his brow, hushing, "There, there, Richard, I'm here. It's me, Camille, I'm here, don't fret."

He grimaces, gasps, turns towards her voice and catches her arm, "Camille, where were you? I was alone in the dark an' I couldn't find you! There were staring eyes an' wild hair!"

She leans down, kisses his smoldering cheek, "Hush, hush, everything's OK. I was sleeping, that's all."

He blinks glazed eyes, "You were? Where? Why weren't you here with me?"

She blushes slightly, nods to Carlton, "Well, nurse Carlton is here, remember? I can't very well clutter up the sick-bed, now can I?"

He pulls on her hand, drawing her down to him, "I don' see why not! It's my bloody bed, innit? I can have whoever I want in it, can't I?"

Hurt flashes across her face as she darts a quick look to Carlton who steps back and goes out onto the veranda, out of ear shot. Oh, she thinks, he's GOOD! But she gives no further thought to the nurse; she has questions for this man right here right now! She takes both his hands now and mutters, "Richard, I want you to tell me the truth. The truth! How many women have you had in this bed?"

END – part 3