Chapter 12:

"No, there was only the one, whom, I think, knocked me out. Nonetheless, he was accompanied with another lancer."

No doubt, it's Juan. Thinks the magistrado.

"Well, thank you, Don Diego." He says then.

A muffled sound was heard a first time, puzzling Diego. The sound repeated itself then.

"There is someone next-door." Diego exclaims, staggering.

"It's nothing, Señor De la Vega."

But the moaning repeats again, stronger, but still muffled.

Diego goes closer then, leaning against the desk in order not to fall.

"Don Diego, one more step and I will arrest you for contempt of court and hits and wounds on soldiers of his majesty." The magistrado threatens him.

Willy-nilly, Diego obeys. He has already showed too much boldness. He saluted the magistrado and made signs to Bernardo who took a place next to him, and helped him walk.

"Don Diego, you should go to see a doctor." The magistrado says then more calmly.

"That is what I intend to do. Thank you for the counsel."

The magistrado then looked at Diego going out. And while this one arrived near the cuartel's gate, the magistrado remarks to Ruy, weapon in hand and ready to shoot.

Again! What a fool this one. The magistrado complains interiorly.

"RUY. PUT AWAY YOUR WEAPON IMMEDIATLY, AND COME TO SEE ME STRAIGHT AWAY. " The magistrado orders with such voice, that the De la Vegas and Sergeant Garcia noticed the lancer.

"Don Diego, I apologize for the behavior of the lancers."

"Sergeant Garcia, it's not for you to apologize, however, I thank you."

"You have a scary face. Don't delay to see the doctor."

"I don't think my father would let me go home like this." Diego indicates.

"You're very right, Son." Don Alejandro intervenes.

In the mean time, in the commandante's office.

"Señor?"

"Poor fool, what do you believe to accomplish by provoking the De la Vegas? You want to turn all California against you?"

"This whippersnapper, as you call him, is more dangerous that he seems."

"If you push him to the limit, what is more natural? The De la Vegas are proud. I advise you not to approach one or the other anymore, nor their new property."

"Their new property." The lancer says by swallowing, like if he had guessed.

"Absolutely. Strict interdiction to go on the De la Vega's lands, and those of the De Castillos'. Now you are dismissed! And send Ricardo to me."

"Very well, Señor."

"And pass the word to Juan."

"This will be done, Señor."

Once outside, Ruy goes finding Ricardo and observes the De la Vegas at the gate of the cuartel, talking with Sergeant Garcia. Then he passed the word to Juan while Ricardo was going to find the magistrado, and he observed the De la Vegas as they went to Doctor Avila's office.

In the office, once the door was closed.

"Ricardo, Diego De la Vega is far too curious He risks compromising the capture of Zorro."

"Do you want that I..."

"No! Don't eliminate him, especially not. Having Señor De la Vega on my back is a risk I won't take. There must be a way to put him on the sidelines for a while."

Ricardo looks through the window without thinking. Then he smiles machiavellian, an idea in mind.

"I'll take care of everything, the young De la Vega will quickly have other fish to fry." Ricardo says devilishly.

When Doctor Avila opened his office's door, it was his surprise to find the De la Vegas.

"Buenos días, Don Alejandro. What brings... Well, Diego, what happened to you?" The doctor exclaims by seeing Diego's face.

"A little quarrel with two of the new recruits of the magistrado."

"Come in, quickly." Says the doctor, while Diego finally took away his hand from the back of his head.

Doctor Avila helped him to settle and asked Don Alejandro to wait in the room specially reserved to this effect. As for Bernardo, he helped Diego to take off his shirt, to his demand, because he didn't manage to move his right arm.

Bernardo noticed bruises and hematoma on his right ribs.

"Kicks, my friend." He explains simply.

"Well, Don Diego, I dare hope that you hit them back."

"It's difficult to hit back when we are cowardly knocked from the back with the butt of a pistol."

"You were hit on your head?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that the wound was opened again." Diego indicates by showing his red bloody hand.

Doctor Avila hurries behind him and frowned by discovering the bandage well tinted with blood. Then he draws his medical bag closer, and took away the bandage.

"Well, my young friend, your wound needs to be closed once again."

"Do it, Doctor." Diego winced.

While taking care of his head, Doctor Avila keeps on talking.

"Are there some other places which make you suffer?"

"Yes, but not as much. I feel pain in my right ribs, and in my shoulder." Explains Diego feeling barely what the doctor did.

"I'll glance at it. There, I am almost done."

Once the doctor put a new bandage around his head, he examined the hematoma at the level of his ribs. No sooner did he touch him lightly, than Diego backed away wincing even more. Then he looked at his shoulder.

"Can you move your arm, Don Diego?"

In front of the motionlessness of the arm, the doctor frowned.

"Why can't I move it?" Asks Diego.

"Don't become alarmed, Don Diego."

The doctor makes then signs to Bernardo to maintain firmly his master. This latter obeys, although suspicious. Then the doctor catches Diego's right arm, and, as he doesn't encounter any resistance, puts back in place his dislocated shoulder. Diego muffled the pain he was feeling and lost consciousness.

Bernardo sets free no sooner Diego, panic-stricken, and looked to the doctor which wasn't worried. This one took out a balm from his medical bag, and covered the shoulder with it. Bernardo remarked then that the shoulder went back on a more true aspect. Then the doctor puts another bandage, and took care of the ribs in the same way.

Nevertheless, Bernardo, worried, went to look for Don Alejandro.

It was the surprise for Doctor Avila to see him come in quickly in the office.

"Don Alejandro?" He interrogates with surprise.

"Bernardo came to me... He seemed worried... Why Diego is..."

"I think I understand. I had asked, in gestural language, for Bernardo to maintain Diego firmly. His right shoulder was dislocated. I had to put it back in place. The pain made him lose consciousness, and Bernardo must have been worried about it." The doctor explains while he was putting on a third bandage.

"It would be good that Diego rests more before getting home. I will lay him down and let him..."

But already Diego was regaining conscious.

"Well, what stamina!" Exclaimed the doctor.

"Can you move your arm now?" He asks then.

Diego made a try and managed to do it.

"My gesture is heavy, slow and painful."

"All will be back to normal. Your shoulder was dislocated."

That's all Zorro needed. Realizes Diego.

"In how much time will I get the use of my arm back?"

"Usually, I would have said two or three weeks; but by seeing the short time that you remained unconscious, I will say one week at the most, maybe two, but it will astonish me. On the other hand, you'll have to keep your arm in a sling at a maximum."

"Can he go home?" Asks Don Alejandro.

"Yes, of course... There is a list of medicinal herbs with which he must treat himself. I'm certain that Bernardo could help him in this case." He adds while Bernardo helped Diego to put his shirt back on.

"Thanks for all, Doctor Avila."

"Be careful, Don Diego." Says the doctor. "Oh, one last thing. It will be preferable to use a carriage if you have to ride. If you don't have the choice, prefer the trot than the gallop."

"I will watch for it." Don Alejandro salutes while Bernardo helped his friend to get into saddle.

Then Don Alejandro goes close to them and mounts at his turn.

"You seem to be elsewhere, Son. Will I see remorse in your eyes?"

"Remorse? Must I have to feel some, Father? In this case, forgive me; I'm not the slightest bit sorry."

"That's not like you to act this way."

Diego didn't pick up on the reaction and got lost in his thoughts.

"What is it, Son?"

"I'm worried for the señorita." He admits while they passed in front of Ruy, hidden then in a nook.