Chapter 25: A Tragicomic turn
Jostled, Don Sebastián lost his balance and the gun went off in the air.
Diego? I don't know if I must thank him or not. The young De la Vega wondered.
What is he doing here? Why didn't he stay with his mother? Don Alejandro got worried.
"Diego!" Monastario exclaimed by turning white while the child was thrashing the bad guy now on the floor.
He unintentionally hit him on his wounded side making him cry out with pain. Surprised, the child stopped.
Absolutely furious, El Lobo let his anger explode. He stood up, grabbed the child and used him as a shield; putting the pistol against his temple before the capitán, sergeant or lancers had time to react.
"Uncle Zorro?" Toledano and Garcia had whispered by lowering their weapon.
"Uncle Zorro? How touching." Señor De Otsoa repeated sardonically.
Diego winced and felt the puzzled looks of the capitán and the sergeant.
"Let go of the child!" Monastario said firmly by making a step inside, ready to cross swords if needed.
"Oh! El Chivo... You think of being able to stop me also?" He asked by turning round to him.
Diego took benefit of this moment to go closer to him.
"Señor, it is between you and me, isn't it? So let go of the child. You're as cowardly as El Diablo."
To the enunciation of his mentor, El Lobo turned again toward Diego and noticed that this one was a step from him.
"Would it be a threat? For a poet you seem suddenly self-assured. What are you willing to do, you who dislikes violence?"
"If there is one thing I abhor more it is people of your kind." Diego hissed.
The child suddenly noticed that the pistol wasn't against his temple anymore and that the arm which was holding him was now in front of him. Without thinking twice, he bit him ferociously making him scream loudly . Before Señor De Otsoa had time to counterattack, big Diego grabbed his arms but winced, permitting the little one to free himself and run for shelter behind his big uncle's legs.
In the backyard, Isabella suddenly noticed her son's absence.
"Diego!" She exclaimed anxious by running toward the hacienda.
She felt a slight tightness on her side but didn't care about it. Salena followed her, but had to slow her pace. She wasn't in pain but was feeling tired. Then, Angela helped her walk.
When they arrived in the sala, they stopped abruptly by discovering Diego struggling against Don Sebastián. Worried for her son, Isabella wanted to move forward but was vividly restrained by Angela.
"Señora, your child is over there, in the arms of the bearded man with the severe face."
Following the indication of Señorita De Santa Anna, Isabella found her son in his uncle's arms and sighed with solace.
Don Alejandro, already tensed and anxious for his son, who wasn't in a state to fight, tensed even more when his sight landed on the señoras.
Suddenly, Diego fell on the floor after having received a blow on his face. Unbalanced, he had staggered back five steps before falling, finding himself at the señoras' feet.
"Diego!" Salena exclaimed with worry and bending over him.
To this exclamation, Don Sebastián raised his head.
"Doña Salena." He whispered while she helped Diego to stand up.
"Gracias, mi corazón." He said.
This sentence and the exchange between both of them strongly annoyed the Wolf who tightened his grip on his pommel making his hand bleed.
"Don Sebastián, accept reality. You have lost." Diego asserted firmly but feeling himself becoming weak. He knew that all this agitation had been harmful for him and that his fever had come back in force.
"Never will I admit defeat!" He announced by lifting up his weapon to Diego and shooting in the same movement.
" No!" Alejandro exclaimed, horrified by seeing his son falling while the fired shot rang out.
"Diego!"
"Don Diego!"
"De la Vega!"
The shouts were echoed to his exclamation while Señor De Otsoa savored his victory with a thundering laugh. Salena cried out before collapsing at his side.
"Seize him." Toledano ordered by shaking himself up.
The man did take it, as he didn't realize what was going on and kept on laughing like an insane man.
Alejandro fell at his turn, grabbing his painful chest .
Avila, divided, bent over him.
"Breathe calmly, my friend. I don't want to lose you also." He said by unbuttoning his shirt to help him breathe before helping him to sit down.
While the lancers led the bandit outside, the calash occupied with the viceroy, the governor and their daughters stopped next to the hacienda.
What is happening? Don Esteban wondered by noticing the disorder.
When he saw Señor De Otsoa, he believed to understand and hastened out of the calash, his daughter behind him.
The governor and Leonar looked at them puzzled before following them more calmly.
In the hacienda, Salena had put Diego's head on her knees and was crying her eyes out. Isabella had knelt next to her and tried to comfort her, an arm around her shoulders. Confused, Angela was feeling in the way, but didn't dare move.
"Sergeant, go tie and gag firmly Señor De Otsoa. Nothing which occurred here or was told, spreads at the pueblo. Tell the same to the lancers and if one dares to talk about it I will personally do something about it."
"Si, Capitán." Garcia answered with a lump in his throat.
As he went out of the hacienda, he nearly jostled the viceroy who passed at his side. Esteban noticed that the situation was serious. Garcia didn't see him nor salute him. And if the sergeant was elsewhere it wasn't a good sign. In the hacienda, the mood was heavy. He noticed Alejandro in a corner, eyes puffed-up, wanting to stand up, but firmly restrained by Doctor Avila. Then his sight landed on Capitán Toledano who was holding his hat in his hands, with an afflicted face. Wailing reached him, first, the one of a child drew his gaze to Monastario with a dull face holding the child in his arms and trying to comfort him by cradling him.
"Diego." Constancia whispered, rooted to the spot.
Don Esteban turned to his daughter, while he identified the wailing of a young woman. When he realized why his daughter was petrified, he made a step forward, then a second with more difficulty. His protected was lying on the floor, inert.
He turned again toward his daughter who came to curl up in his arms.
"Let's go outside for a moment, Constancia."
"Si." She managed to say.
As they arrived on the hacienda's doorstep, the governor and his daughter arrived at their turn.
"So, what is happening?" The governor asked abruptly.
"Diego... He..." Don Esteban began, a lump in his throat.
" Diego! You're alive, mi querido." Salena suddenly exclaimed.
The viceroy turned round quickly, had he heard correctly? He noticed straight away that the young don had put a hand on the señorita's cheek to wipe away her tears.
"I love you." He whispered to her with a nearly absent voice.
A weak smile enlightened his face, quickly carried away by a painful rictus.
Alejandro and Avila had also raised their heads with surprise, just like Toledano and Monastario. Diego slightly coughed, making a weight vanish off his father's shoulders.
"Stay sitting, my friend. Your heart has had enough emotions for today. " Avila solemnly said.
Although willing to run and hold his son in his arms, Alejandro obeyed; his friend was right.
From the library, Bernardo had seen everything without finding a way to intervene. And when he had seen his friend falling, it had the effect of a stab. To Salena's exclamation, he nearly went out of the library, such as his joy was overwhelming. But he stopped in time. By seeing him moving, even if his pain could be guessed, he found again his smile. A dying person won't move so much. He remained in the library and observed Doctor Avila coming closer to Diego and bending over him, incredulous.
"You should be dead." He stammered.
Diego reluctantly let go of Salena's cheek.
"My... My mother sav... saved me again." Diego explained which breath remained short.
"Diós." Isabella, who was the only one to understand, exclaimed; Don Alejandro was, very fortunately, too far away.
"What does he want to say?" Avila asked.
"Look inside the left pocket of his shirt." Isabella explained with an unsteady voice.
The doctor obeyed and took out a locket on which still was the bullet. He recognized the jewel easily and put it back in the pocket before opening the shirt quickly. He noticed the bruise which was beginning to form and slowly touched lightly his skin. Diego shivered and winced.
"You're as lucky as your late mother." He said enigmatical. "At this short distance of fire you come with some broken ribs... Oh, and a little cut." He said by discovering a little gash on his chest where his shirt pocket was. "Apart from this, how are you feeling?"
"Terribly tired." He confessed the voice heavy.
Avila put his hand on his forehead.
"You're feverish, Diego... You need rest. I will ask that someone take you back in your room, but first I will reassure your father who also needs rest."
"Is he... hurt?" Diego questioned by remembering the fired shots.
"A scratch on his left arm... It is his heart which troubles me more."
Diego became white.
"Don't torment yourself! Calm and rest is what he needs more." Avila explained before standing up with a joyful smile which warmed up each's heart.
Toledano went out then, if he must have a talk with Don Diego, this one will wait.
"Sergeant Garcia, go back inside, I beg you. Don Alejandro could need you. As for me, I will go back to Los Angeles with the lancers and the prisoner."
"On your command, Capitán." Garcia said with a charged voice, not aware of the real situation.
Inside, Isabella stood up, helped by Angela. Although reassured, she didn't recover from her emotions and her legs seemed non-existent. As he went close to Don Alejandro, Doctor Avila noticed the sergeant coming in.
"Sergeant, you arrived in the nick of time. Carry Don Diego to his bed, por favor. He needs to rest himself."
"Don't joke, Doctor." Garcia said sadly.
"But Doctor Avila doesn't joke." Diego intervened with a tired voice.
"Don Diego, you're alive." Garcia exclaimed cheerfully.
"As you can see, Sergeant." Diego said by taking support on his valid arm to sit up.
However, the effort made him wince and Salena gave him assistance.
"Don Esteban, Governor, Doña Constancia, Doña Leonar." He saluted, remaining sit on the floor. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
"Concerning me, I came to bring some news to you, Diego." The viceroy explained.
Alejandro stood up slowly to salute them.
"Governor, I'm afraid not to be able to make you discover our latest vintage today. I do apologize." He said then.
"But you're forgiven, Don Alejandro."
"My friend, do you think I will be in better form tomorrow?" Alejandro asked Avila.
"Yes, if you rest well today and if you follow the instructions I will give you."
"Gracias... Governor, come back tomorrow evening, we will have dinner all together."
"That's an excellent idea, Don Alejandro."
"Governor, don't wait for us, we will find another way to return to Los Angeles." Don Esteban asserted.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Don't worry."
Outside, the lancers had already left. The governor and his daughter saluted each one and left the hacienda at their turn, taking the calash, which was waiting for them outside.
In the library, which door was slightly opened, Bernardo had heard enough and decided to go back in Diego's room by taking the secret passage.
In the sala, Monastario put down the child which had stop crying by hearing Uncle Zorro. He ran then to him.
"Uncle Diego?"
"Thank you for your intervention, Diego. You were very brave."
"I think I said something stupid." He whispered in his ear.
"Don't worry for that." The young don said by drawing a smile.
The child gave him his smile back and went closer to his mother who held him in her arms. Then the sergeant went closer to Diego, hesitant. Finally, he bent toward him and took him in his arms.
" You're not a featherweight, Don Diego." He let slip.
"You know, Sergeant, I can walk." The young don said ill at ease.
"Don Diego." Avila growled while Alejandro refrained from laughing. "You already did more than you should. Allow the sergeant or I shall give Bernardo a recipe of my own which will make you sleep for a week."
Diego swallowed thoughtfully. He certainly didn't want to sleep so much time. Salena couldn't help to titter in front of the picture of this comical situation.
"Doña Salena, you should go back and also rest yourself... I will come to see you after having taken care of Don Diego and Don Alejandro."
In front of the old hidalgo's face, Monastario couldn't help bursting out laughing.
"Please... Please excuse-me." He managed to say before going out as he continued laughing .
"It's well the first time I've see the capitán... I mean Señor Monastario laughing heartily."
"Sergeant, one last thing."
"Yes, Doctor Avila?"
"Try not to drop him or to hit him to the wall."
"I won't fail." Garcia said smiling, barely missing from hitting Diego on the wide opened main door.
"Doctor Avila, wouldn't it be preferable that I walk?" Diego asked ironical.
"No!" The doctor answered smiling.