Chapter 6: 'A very hectic awakening'.

Chapter Text

'Richard... can you hear me? Oh, I don't know, remember when Camille laughed out loud for the first time? You had all the mush in your hair, on your clothes... and you were so irritated. But as much as you said you'd punish her, you never got around to it. Oh, my love, why do you ask me to tell you about us if you don't answer me? 'The children and I need you...'

And it's true. Little Camille and Richard are more serious than usual. They sense the absence of their father and the sadness and nervousness of their mother, grandmother and the rest of their uncles and aunts.

Camille Poole can't take it any more and bursts into tears over Richard lying on the hospital bed in Saint Marie. Hearing him speak for the first time after two or three days in silence, she was overcome with joy. But it soon dissipated.

When her husband, without opening his eyes, whispered to his wife to talk to him about the two of them and the children, she thought he was about to wake up, but he seems to have been exhausted by such an effort and has not spoken or whispered again.

Catherine, who was the only person accompanying her daughter, ran off to find a doctor as soon as she heard Richard whisper. It had struck a chord with her that Richard seemed to be thinking only of her daughter and their children. She just hoped it didn't mean goodbye. Camille would sink.

For the last three or four days Catherine, with the help of Fidel, Dwayne, Juliet and Jade Norwich have been caring for the then convalescent and unconscious Geoffrey Norwich, Camille and Richard.

Later it was only Richard who, having not awoken from his coma, needed the care of all of them, with the exception of Jade Norwich, who is now looking after her husband's health.

Unfortunately it was the Inspector who ate the most, and his body not being as used to it as Professor Norwich's apparently was, he is the one who has been most poisoned.

The Poole twins have been cared for by their grandmother, by Juliet and by Commissioner Patterson and his wife. At the time they are at the Commissioner's house.

Camille, left alone after her mother leaves, decides to change strategy and keeps talking to him. But she talks to him about the case. She knows he loves his work and can't resist solving a mystery no matter what.

Richard, you know all about us, how much I love you, how the kids love you, how much we all love you. But Fidel and Dwayne can't keep running the station by themselves. It's starting to get the better of them. The doctors have already informed me that the substance we were poisoned with is called psilocybin, with traces of psilocin. Both were present in the chocolate and come from a fungus. If the professor and I have recovered, why are you taking so long? We think the teacher's assistant is the culprit, almost certainly him. I have an intuition that this is the case...'.

Richard wags a finger and he too has almost raised an eyebrow. Camille keeps talking:

'... and I'm pretty sure I know why he might have done it. But, if you don't wake up, he's going to get away with it and the teacher might get blamed. A lot of people think he was addicted to that hallucinogenic substance and, being afraid that we would find out, he poisoned us. But, my love, I know that's not true! This time my intuition doesn't fail me...'.

Richard whispers again with signs of great exhaustion:

'Camille, you're an experienced policewoman. After all the years we've been working together, you're still coming to me with this intuition thing?'

Camille can't speak out of emotion.

An even whiter-than-usual Richard Poole, with large shadows of exhaustion under his eyes, is looking at his wife with his smile cocked to one side.

'By the way, Camille, I'm so happy to still be able to see you. You have always been with me. I think there came a time when I knew it was all a hallucination, so I asked you, almost screaming, to tell me about us. I was hoping that you could listen to me and help me get back. Are the children well, my love? I miss them so much...'

Camille is hugging him very carefully. She doesn't want him to go back to sleep. She doesn't want to lose him.

Finally Catherine returns to the room with two doctors and a nurse to assess Richard's condition.

Catherine, also very excited, hugs her daughter to take her away from the Inspector so the doctors can do their work. She also has to wipe away a few tears. But she won't let him or her daughter know that.

At the Police Station almost at that same moment...

Fidel, with his dark circles under his eyes already almost permanent, picks up the phone that made Dwayne wake up with a start.

Sergeant Best on the phone, how can I help you?

Fidel listens attentively while Dwayne watches his gaze lighten.

'It's about time, Catherine! And you say he woke up calling Camille? Dwayne, the Chief woke up and the first thing he did was say Camille's name!'

Dwayne quickly gets up to his friend's table, stealing the receiver:

'You can't expect me to call you or me. Miniskirts don't suit us, you know. Hello Catherine! How is the Chief?'

Fidel, on the other hand, is already preparing the station to temporarily close it. As soon as Dwayne finishes the call, he will forward the calls and the two of them will rush to the hospital to see Richard.

But first Fidel taps on Dwayne's shoulder and asks:

'Do you know if they have notified the Commissioner?'

Dwayne shrugs and asks Catherine.

Then he hears the response and answers Fidel:

'Yes, they had the audacity to notify him before us.'

Dwayne, seeing Fidel's hasty preparations, cuts the call and joins his friend to leave as soon as possible.

At the hospital:

'Is it possible?' Catherine comments to her daughter, 'Dwayne hung up on me! Cami, dear, I think they're coming here. '

Camille, seeing the doctors and nurses leaving her husband's room, decides to talk to him alone.

She motions to her mother to wait for Commissioner Patterson and Dwayne and Fidel.

The Commissioner is the one who has been in charge of keeping Richard's parents informed of his condition. Also of course his awakening from a coma.

She wants to go in alone to ask her husband how he knew it was all a hallucination. She wants to know if he already knew anything about the drugs that poisoned them and how he came to realize everything.

When she enters the room, closing the door behind her, she sees her husband with his eyes closed lying on the bed. But somehow she knows that Richard is awake waiting for her.

When she sits next to him, he takes her hand and says:

'So they poisoned us with a mushroom, right, my love? Psilocybin was, and I think still is, very popular in college. I guess it was the chocolate...'

Richard stops talking, he gets tired quickly.

'Don't exhaust yourself, Richard.'

'I'll try, Camille. You must not allow James Porter to leave the island. Your passport has to be taken away.'

Camille smiles:

'Don't you know that your team is the best in the Caribbean, Richard? Someone…. 'She bends down to kiss him on the lips, before they had not even allowed her to kiss her husband. 'He taught us very well. It was the first thing Fidel ordered. Although he also seized the passports of Professor Norwich and his wife, for his own safety. And Dwayne was the proud executor of the operation. You have to calm down and rest. No one will be able to leave the island and you have to recover. You ate more chocolate than all of us.'

Richard squeezes his wife's hand again.

'The doctors have told me that in two or three more days I will be much better. And I will do everything they tell me. But I think... by the way, how are the professor and his wife? Camille, I already knew he was innocent. I guess Jade hasn't left him at any time.'

Camille replies:

'Norwich was being poisoned, although more slowly, for a long time. He will need longer treatment, but he is fine and will be completely fine. Jade won't leave him and she feels very guilty. She didn't trust Porter, but since her husband always said that James was a great help... While her husband was still unconscious, she has put away all of her husband's work that was here on the island and has given orders to the University. so that James Porter no longer has access to her husband's books and notes.'

Richard nods, he thinks it's a very smart move.

'I guess our children are fine?'

'Yes, they were with their paternal grandmother, so they have always been fine.' Camille answers. James Porter is in Saint Marie without being able to leave the island, guarded 24 hours a day.

Richard is calmer now, he remembers a time when, being sick, he had to do almost all the work alone. Now Camille is with him to help him decide the necessary steps. Without forgetting Fidel and Dwayne.

'Camille, would there be any chance of the children coming to the hospital? I'm dying to kiss and hug them too.'

'You'll see them, Richard, sooner than you think. They miss you a lot.

Richard smiles, there is only one thing left, something that he still doesn't know if it is important or not in the near future.

'I would like, my love, for you to bring me all the information available about the Taínos. You know that Norwich had already investigated the subject. Can you please bring me the books I have by him at home and look for something in the island library. Maybe I'll be a little bored until I'm discharged...'

'You know, Richard, it's a good excuse, really. What did you experience in that strange dream? I hope there were no more women besides me in it...'

Richard closes his eyes to remember everything:

'Of course you were in it. Also Professor Norwich. And a lot of indigenous people. I think it was because the book I read the night before from him was about the Taino culture that I put those words in the professor's mouth. You see, at first I believed it was real you, shortly after I deduced that it was a projection of you that came out of my mind. The professor only knew what I knew about the subject and you only knew what, in a certain way, I was informing you. I guess it was a way to not go crazy. That's when I realized something serious was happening. That's why I screamed, in the dream of course, I know that here you perceived it as a whisper. I wanted, I hoped, that the real Camille would be by my side, wherever I went. And so it was.'

Camille smiles, she doesn't let herself be fooled.

'It couldn't be any other way, Richard. Continue, why this information about the Tainos?'

'Maybe it wasn't all a hallucination. I think they asked me for help. That information is not in the books. Although technically it was the teacher from my dream who translated what they said, somehow I already knew that they needed help.'

'And here I thought I was going to be bored with you...'

'I only have one more thing left to ask of you, Camille...'

She tells him:

'How you can tell that you are awake and wide awake. What more do you want, Richard?'

'Do you think there would be any problem with you lying next to me? There is plenty of room...

And his wife follows his suggestion of a thousand loves.

Unfortunately, five minutes later Fidel and Dwayne enter.

Dwayne laughs and the first thing he says is:

'The Chief is back, Fidel!'

Fidel approaches, this time he doesn't feel uncomfortable. He sees that Richard is paler than normal and that Camille also seems very tired from her own poisoning and the stress she has suffered. Although Dwayne, as always, tries to cheer everyone up with his comment.

'We are glad to see you awake, sir. The Commissioner has brought the children, that's why he's the last one to arrive.'

Camille, getting out of bed, kisses Richard on the cheek and says:

'You didn't expect this surprise. I mentioned this to Maman before entering the room. Of course, the nurses will not let them stay for more than a very short time. '

At that moment the Commissioner and his wife enter with two restless children in their arms.

Children who almost jump into the bed where their father is lying when they see him smile at them.

Less than five minutes later the nurses are in charge of kicking almost everyone out of the sick room. Despite the influence of Commissioner Patterson.