Page 69 of Delirium

“Ifear I’ve made a mess.”

I stared at Camp, fear racing through me not for the first time today. Something was seriously, seriously wrong, and hadn’t been right since we left the city—maybe even before that.

I looked at Nash next to me, who looked just as pale as I felt.

“Something isn’t right,” I muttered, looking to Nash for confirmation.

He nodded, not taking his eyes off Camp. “I think something is wrong with all of us,” he said.

Camp still stood, frozen in his doorway, hair askew, eyes wild like a rabid animal. “I fear I’ve made a mess,” he repeated.

“Camp, buddy, listen to me, okay?” Nash soothed, taking a step toward him, and then another. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. We’re just going to get you into the sick bay.”

“No!” Camp stumbled back into his room, clinging to the doorframe. “No. You’re a ghost. I’m seeing things. I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. You’re dead. You’re a ghost, because you're dead. I just saw James kill you!”

My mouth fell open, the pieces finally falling into place. I wasn’t sure what would make Camp see an entire scene play out in front of him that hadn’t happened, but I had a sinking feeling it was the same thing that made me have entire fucking sex dream about Scarlett. My cock still ached when I thought about that dream, but right now was not the time to reminisce.

Nash looked at me frantically. “Go get Scarlett. Now. If what’s happening is what I think it is, she shouldn’t be alone. Besides, she might be able to get through to him and break him out of whatever trance he’s in.”

I nodded, turning back toward the wheelhouse where I’d last seen Scarlett. As I left, I heard Nash’s soothing voice, doing his best to calm Camp. “Listen man, I know it probably sounded scary from inside the room, but James and I were just arguing. No one is dead. I swear…”

I still wasn’t feeling great from whatever hit me last night, but I made my way as quickly as I could to Scarlett. She still sat in the chair where we’d left her, feet propped up, staring forlornly at the rainforest. One look at my face and she sprang to her feet.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“It’s Camp. He’s not well. I think he’s hallucinating or something. He…he thinks I killed Nash. It’s crazy. I don’t know.” She followed closely on my heels back to the cabins.

Camp was almost completely back in his room now, nearly ensconced by the shadows. “I don’t believe in ghosts. You need to leave me the fuck alone.”

Nash looked back in relief when he heard us approach. “Oh, thank fuck. I almost had him, and then I said the wrong thing and spooked him all over again.”

“What do I do?” Scarlett asked. “Tell me what to do to help him.”

“You’re going to have to snap him out of it. He’s in a dream-like state. Shocking him out of it is one way, but considering shock is what put him into it, it might not be the best choice of action.” Nash shrugged, turning his gaze back to Camp. “He has a strong connection with you, though. Reminding him of that might be strong enough to break whatever his mind is telling him.”

Scarlett approached the doorway slowly. “Hey, Camp. Hey, baby. You doing okay?”

Camp turned to her voice, immediately relaxing. “Scarlett. Do you see him, too? Do you see the ghost?”

“Baby, there is no ghost. You’re dreaming. Nash is right here in front of me. Alive. No one is dead. No one is a ghost.” She smiled, taking another step closer. “You gotta shake yourself out of this. Who else is going to bake me a banana rum cake?”

“Banana rum cake…” Camp’s eyes drifted off. “I think I remember.”

“Think hard,” Scarlett whispered. “Think real hard for me.”

“But the ghosts…”

“There’s no ghosts, baby.”

Camp blinked, his hands dropping from the doorframe. He looked shaken, but like himself again. Like he was in control of his body. “Scarlett?”

She nodded, closing the distance, standing on her tiptoes and pressing her hands on either side of his face. “I’m here. You’re good. You were just lost for a minute, but now you’re back.”

The intimacy of the moment rocked through me, breaking my heart a little bit more, until I had to look away. Why couldn’t that be me?

“I had a dream,” Camp whispered. “I had a dream and then I thought I woke up, but I don’t think I woke up.”

“You’re awake now. It’s okay.” She held his face in her hands, turning toward Nash. “What’s going on?”

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