Chapter 13
During the night, Diego and Victoria kept watch on Jose while Don Alejandro went home to rest at the insistence of his son. They made Jose drink the tea every hour, when he was able to swallow it, and they held him down with his feverish shudders.
"How's he doing?" Victoria asked after the last round of tea.
Diego gazed up at his wife. "His leg is better and I don't believe the infection has spread. He is responding to the tea and the seizures are not as strong as they were."
She nodded, yawning. "I've noticed it too."
He smiled tiredly. "Come Victoria, you need rest yourself." He said as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and gently pressed her down onto the chair that was in the corner.
"Well, so do you." she pointed out but she snuggled into the blanket anyway.
He nodded. "True. How is Mercedes?"
"She's finally asleep but it can't be comfortable for her in that chair." She yawned again. "What time is it?"
He shrugged. "Almost dawn I think, the doctor should be here soon."
"I don't think I have been up this late before." Victoria was feeling warm with the blanket around her and she felt her eyes close. "You will wake me when you need me, won't you Diego?" she said sleepily.
"Of course, go to sleep." He reassured her.
She had only been asleep for a short time, when Jose's moans woke her again. She threw off the blanket and rose to help Diego with the tea. "Well, that's the last of it." he said softly as he gently laid Jose back onto the bed.
"What now Diego?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Now we wait."
She changed the cloth on Jose's head with a cooler one, trying to bring down the fever. "Diego, I think his fever has lessened too."
He gently touched his face and hands and nodded. "I think you're right, he doesn't seem to be as hot as before."
Ten minutes later, they heard a horse approaching and together with Mercedes, who had just woken from a fitful sleep, went outside to see the doctor dismount from his horse.
Diego quickly told him what occurred during the night and what they had done with the tea and the cool compresses to help reduce Jose's fever. Doctor Hernandez nodded in approval of their actions and went inside to examine Jose for himself, while Diego and Victoria waited with Mercedes in the other room.
Mercedes held Victoria's hand as the doctor came out a short time later. "Senora, your husband is going to recover..."
"Oh thank god." Mercedes said as she hugged her friend before the doctor continued.
"He will need rest for four or five days and for a time he may become exhausted from doing small things but that is normal. He will live, thanks to Don Diego." He turned to Diego, smiled. "That Indian medicine worked faster than anything I have, would you be able to give me some, so I can study it and use it myself."
Diego smiled, pleased that Jose was going to be alright. "Of course doctor, I don't have any left but I know where to get some more."
Doctor Hernandez nodded "Just when you have a moment, no rush." he said before he turned back to Mercedes. "Just give him broth for a couple of days and then after that he should be fine to go back on normal food."
Mercedes nodded. "Gracias doctor."
After the doctor left, Mercedes hugged Diego. "Thank you Don Diego."
He returned her embrace. "You're welcome Mercedes. If you need anything, just let us know. We'll come later to check on him." he said.
Mercedes nodded. "I will." she replied as she watched him help a sleepy Victoria into the wagon and gently urged the horses on.
"You save a man's life Diego." Victoria said as she leant her head on his shoulder.
"We both did Victoria; I couldn't have done it without your help." he replied as he put his arm around her and pulled her close.
But she didn't hear, she was fast asleep.
Diego grinned as he shook his head, he had finally spent the night with his wife but it wasn't in the way he had hoped for.
He arrived back at the hacienda to find his father waiting for them. "Victoria, wake up." he said softly.
"Uh...where are we?" she said sleepily.
"We're home." He replied as he got down from the wagon.
"How's Jose?" Don Alejandro asked.
"He's going to fine father. Doctor Hernandez came and confirmed it. Come on Victoria wake up." he said.
"I'm too tired." she said as she slowly got down from the wagon but Diego knew she wouldn't make it inside on her own, so he picked her up in his arms. He smiled wryly at his father and said. "Just when I finally have her in my arms, she falls asleep."
Don Alejandro chuckled and shook his head. "Take her to bed, Diego."
Diego raised an eyebrow and it was his turn to chuckle as he saw his father's embarrassment at his choice of words.
"You know what I meant son." he said as he entered the hacienda.
Diego nodded. "I do." he said as he carried his wife inside and down the hallway to her room. He gently laid her down on the bed and removed her shoes; he dare not remove her clothes even as tired as he was, as they both were, he didn't want to tempt fate. He pulled the covers over her and whispered. "Goodnight Victoria."
Victoria snuggled down into bed and as he stood up, he heard her murmur. "I love you Diego."
His heart pounded in his chest at those words he had longed to hear. He leant down and planted a soft kiss to her forehead. "I love you too querida." he whispered but she was sound asleep. He looked down at her with love in his heart and didn't want to leave her, not tonight. He removed his shoes, eased himself down beside her and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
It was only four hours after they came back when Don Alejandro needed to wake his son. He went down the corridor to his son's room; he knocked softly and went in. He was surprised to see an empty bed, which meant that Diego must have stayed with Victoria. He was loathed to intrude on their privacy, but it was vital.
Victoria's door was half open and Don Alejandro pushed past it, then he stopped at the sight in front of him. He saw that she was asleep under the covers; his son was lying fully clothed with his arm wrapped protectively around her, sound asleep. It was a wonderful sight and it boded well for the future but he also knew it was an intensely private moment that he shouldn't be seeing.
"Diego." he whispered.
When he didn't get a reply, he whispered more loudly. "Diego."
Diego stirred and opened his eyes. "Father." he whispered. "What's..." then he realised that he was sleeping in his wife's bed, with his arm around her.
"I'll wait outside son." Don Alejandro whispered and left.
Diego nodded as he slowly removed his arm from Victoria's sleeping form and quietly moved off the bed, picked up his shoes and went outside, and closed the door behind him.
"I'm sorry to disturb you Diego." Don Alejandro stated a little embarrassed as they walked towards the library.
"It's alright father." Diego shrugged tiredly. "What's wrong?" He asked; it was rare for his father to wake him unless there was trouble.
"It's Jose, he's had a relapse." Don Alejandro confirmed.
"What! But how, his fever was all but gone." he was stunned at this news.
The older man shrugged. "I don't know but the doctor is here."
They reached the library to find Doctor Hernandez waiting there. "It's a day for injuries, no sooner had I returned home after I left you, I was called out again to the Lopez ranch. One of their vaqueros broke his arm from a fall from his horse, and on the way back, I decided to stop in on Jose. There was something worrying me about him and I couldn't put my finger on it." he paused and shook his head. "His fever has returned and I need more of those leaves that you used before, Diego."
Diego ran his fingers through his hair. "It will take me awhile to find them Doctor, but I won't stop until I do."
The doctor nodded. "I need every little help I can get with this one. You see there was another wound near his ankle. It's just a scratch really, that has now become infected."
Diego frowned. "I did check for other stings but I didn't see any more." he was dismayed.
The doctor put his hand on Diego's shoulder. "Don't feel guilty Don Diego, I too missed it and I am trained to do this. If you can get those plants quickly, we can still save him."
Diego nodded. "I'll saddle my horse and met you there."
An hour later Diego arrived with the herbs. "I'm sorry Mercedes, I should have checked more thoroughly." he said regretfully as he handed over the leaves to the doctor.
"Oh no Don Diego, it's not your fault." She sort to reassure him. "You weren't to know."
Diego nodded. "I will stay here until he is better." he promised.
"But Don Diego, you haven't had much sleep." Mercedes was concerned, she had seen how tired he was, he had already stayed up all night with Jose and now he wanted to stay longer.
Diego gently held her shoulders. "It's alright Mercedes, the main thing is to get Jose better."
Mercedes nodded. "Gracias, you are a good man Don Diego." She smiled when she saw a faint blush come over his face and thought that Victoria was a lucky woman to have a man like Don Diego love her.
It wasn't until late afternoon when Victoria finally woke, she stretched, yawned and realised that she was still in her clothes from the day before. She smiled to herself as she remembered being carried to her room and she giggled that Diego didn't or couldn't undress her. Then she blushed as she recalled what she had said. That she loved him and she did love him, she had loved him for a long time but never realised it until now.
She rose from her bed, washed and changed into fresh clothes and when she opened her door, she noticed that Diego's door was also opened so she went in but found the bed made and the room empty. So she went in search of him but found Don Alejandro in the library instead. "Good morning, oh I mean afternoon father." she smiled at him.
"Ah good afternoon Victoria, sleep well." he asked.
"As a matter of fact, I did. Is Diego already up?" She asked but then she saw a sad look in his eyes. "Father, what's wrong?"
"It's Jose, his fever came back earlier today, and Diego is with him now." He replied.
"Oh no, it can't be." Victoria sat down heavily on the chair beside Don Alejandro.
He patted her hand. "There was a scratch on his ankle which is now infected, the doctor came and asked Diego to help him since his knowledge of the local plants was better than his."
Victoria felt tears stinging her eyes. "Oh poor Jose, and Mercy, that's terrible. How long ago did Diego leave?"
"Hours ago." he replied. "He's going to be exhausted when he comes home."
She stood up. "I'm going back."
"But Victoria, you still need rest."
She shook her head. "It's nothing compared to what Mercy is going through. I have to go, father." she said firmly.
Don Alejandro sighed resignedly. "We'll both go."
But as they walked out of the hacienda, Diego himself slowly rode up to them; he could barely stay on his horse and Don Alejandro rushed over and helped his son dismount. "Diego, let me help you." he said.
Diego smiled tiredly. "Gracias father." he replied.
"How is Jose?" Victoria asked worriedly as the two men came towards her.
Diego smiled. "Much better. Both the doctor and I now believe that it wasn't a second scorpion sting at all but it was just a scratch. He might have scrapped his leg against another plant or on sharp rocks when he was first stung, which then became slightly inflamed, possibly because of the poison that was already in his system. We also believe that he won't have any more relapses but if he does, I've given Mercedes more of the leaves to make the tea."."
"Oh that's wonderful news." Victoria said as they entered the hacienda.
Don Alejandro nodded. "Yes, it is good news, Diego. But now I think you need to go to bed before you fall asleep on your feet."
Diego gave a small tired chuckle. "I think that is a good suggestion, father. I think I will go to bed." he said as he walked in the direction of his rooms. "Goodnight Victoria, father." he said.
"Goodnight son." Don Alejandro said, proud of his son.
"Goodnight Diego." Victoria said as she watched her husband walk slowly down the hallway. She was tempted to follow him for they had much to discuss but she knew that it wasn't the time for that; he was too exhausted.