CHAPTER SEVEN – The Storm Begins
Later that night Felipe sat by the sleeping Diego. Even though it was at the end of a very busy day, Alejandro came to check on Diego.
"How is he Felipe?"
Felipe put his pointing finger to Diego, then signed "Sleeping."
Alejandro immediately lowered his voice to a whisper, if only for his own benefit. "How is he Felipe? Did Victoria come today?"
Felipe signed, and Alejandro understood most of it. "He is still feverish, but he rested a lot. It is time to change the bandages. Will I help you? Yes, of course. What about Victoria?"
Felipe nodded his head.
"So she was here. Did that help you get some rest?"
Felipe nodded his head. Brushing Toronado was restful – well – at the very least – somewhat relaxing, but he didn't tell Alejandro that.
Alejandro nodded his head with understanding. "Yes, well, good. Let's get to it."
Alejandro and Felipe sat on the edge of the bed, one on either side of him. They gently woke him and helped him sit up. Alejandro carefully took Diego's arm out of the nightshirt, and began to unravel the bandage. Felipe got everything ready to change the bandage, water, ointment, alcohol, etc. They talked as they worked, and the conversation helped Diego's alertness.
"Father? How was your day?"
"Very good. How are you feeling, Diego?"
"I feel tired, although I've slept most of the day…or so it feels."
Felipe signed 'the tea.'
Diego nodded. "Oh yes, you're right. It's the tea. I have been sleeping most of the day."
As they took the bandage remnant off, a small corner stuck a bit around one stitch. When pulled, it hurt, and the stitch broke. Diego yelped.
"Ow!" Diego turned his head to look with displeasure at his arm. "Oh, that doesn't look good. No wonder I'm feverish. And then, of course, I've got a good headache tonight, too."
Alejandro took a cloth and poured some alcohol on it. "I'm afraid this is going to sting, son."
Alejandro dabbed the wound with alcohol, one corner of which re-opened when the bandage came off. Diego's whole body tensed, and he winced and grimaced. No sound escaped from his lips, but the pain was written all over his face. Alejandro noticed. Diego let out his breath afterward. He was determined his father was not going to hear him yelp again.
"Diego, that had to have hurt. "
Diego still grimaced, but he was used to being in tight control of his emotions. His voice wavered a bit however. He exhaled again.
"Yes, it hurt."
"But you said nothing. You didn't even cry out."
"Father, there is a lot you may be learning about me in the next few days. I generally only cry out when I'm surprised by pain. If I know it's coming, I can usually prepare myself for it. And…I have something more I want to talk with you about…once I feel better. There are more things about me I would like to share with you."
Alejandro looked puzzled, but didn't want to do anything to antagonize Diego. He realized more surprises were coming. He just didn't know what they were and whether or not he would like them.
He replaced the bandages, then said, "Life is too short, son. Don't wait too long. I – I'll try to handle more surprises coming from you. Son, I've never seen you so brave as I saw you two days ago. I'm proud of you and how you handled yourself with Gilberto. I just want you to know that."
Diego lay back down in the bed, and drifted off to sleep again. "Thank you, Father. It means more to me than you know."
Alejandro looked down again at Diego.
"Good night, my son." He muttered to himself. "What kind of man is my son? We have grown apart, and only so recently have we begun to come back together. I wonder what surprises he has in store for me. Lord have mercy. I believe I'm going to need Your help to handle whatever it is my son may tell me."
Z
A cock crowed outside near the chicken coop. Diego, half asleep, got up without thinking. He put on his slippers and managed to get up and out of bed. Unsteady on his feet, he grabbed whatever he could put his left hand on. He still held his right arm in an awkward bent fashion.
He shuffled across the bedroom floor, into the hallway towards the Library. He mumbled to himself, somewhat incoherent. He walked as if in slow motion.
"…Tired of being in bed. Tired of being injured. Tired of sleeping. Tired…Gotta go take care of…Toro….nado…Felipe may not – be up yet."
Diego slowly made his way to the Library, where he managed to open the secret door. But his strength gave out, and he slipped to the floor, still muttering, on his face.
"Gotta get up…gotta go..."
A few minutes later, Felipe came into the Library with a look of great alarm. He quickly closed the fireplace door. He lowered himself to the floor with Diego and rolled him over. Diego was still mumbling. Felipe tried in vain to get his attention. He felt Diego's forehead and frowned. He gently put Diego's head down, reached for a pillow from the couch and put it behind Diego's head, then ran to get Don Alejandro.
When a sleepy Alejandro arrived, his expression was one of great worry. He bent down to feel Diego's forehead. Alejandro's face turned red with frustration and anger and Felipe was about to get the brunt of it. "Felipe, he's burning up!"
Seeing the ashen look on Felipe's face, he calmed down as much as he could. New love and admiration for this new son of his, took over. When he spoke, his tone was gentle, yet firm.
"Felipe, I know you tried your best. But you must listen to me now, and go get Dr. Hernandez. You and Diego's remedies don't seem to be working at the moment. I've been concerned about this all along. I'm sorry, but now, you must get the doctor."
Felipe's sensitive face showed how awful he felt…guilty, alarmed, and contrite. He nodded.
Alejandro took command. "But first, help me get him back to bed. He's bigger than the both of us." He tried to wake his son. "Diego! Diego! We need you to help us get you back to bed."
Diego muttered. "…Back to bed? I've got to…" He sighed. "But I need to – I need to – feed… horse…"
"That's all right, son. You can feed your horse later. Come on, up you go."
They pulled him up, and with one on either side of him, they took him back to bed. Felipe was near tears, but remained as strong as he could. On the way back to Diego's room, something didn't sit right with Alejandro.
"Felipe, if Diego was going to feed his horse, what was he doing at the fireplace?"
Felipe just shook his head with a 'clueless' expression on his face. He thought, it's a good thing I got there first. I know he wants to tell his father who he is, but he has to be in control of that – hopefully not by accident.
After they got Diego back in bed, Alejandro turned to Felipe and said, "All right, Felipe. Run now! Fetch Dr. Hernandez!"
Felipe nodded. He quickly hurried to the pueblo.
TBC
