Chapter 2
"I won't lie to you, Diego." Doctor Hernandez finished his examination and went into the sitting room where Diego, Victoria, and Felipe waited.
Victoria wrapped her hand around Diego's arm and was once again concerned that he felt a bit warm, even through his thin shirt. But her attention was drawn from him as the doctor spoke.
"Just tell us the truth," Diego said softly.
"Well, his temperature has not gotten any worse, but it has not improved either. His breathing is much more labored. The infection is lessening but not as quickly as I would like."
"Even with the –"
"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "even with the medication you provided." He didn't ask from where it had come, but he knew Diego had to have a laboratory nearby. How else would Zorro have been able to provide medication to countless others in their time of need? Perhaps one day he would ask the young man about it.
Diego closed his eyes to fight back the stinging tears. When he opened them again, he met the doctor's own sad gaze. "How long does he have?"
The doctor took a deep breath. "It's hard to say. His body cannot maintain a high temperature indefinitely and the stress on his heart is causing his erratic breathing. I'm afraid his heart will fail."
Diego took a deep, shaky breath. "Thank you, doctor."
"I will remain here for as long as I can," the doctor assured him, "but at this point, it will take a miracle to see him safely through this. Even the medication I have coming from Monterrey may not aid him. And if it is mixed with what you have already given to me, there could be other consequences."
"I understand," Diego said sadly. "I'll send for the padre immediately."
Hernandez nodded and rested his hand on Diego's shoulder for a brief moment. "That would be wise."
"Thank you for coming," Diego welcomed the padre with a gentle touch on the arm.
"The doctor has not given a good prognosis, then?" Benitez asked sadly. He could see the circles beneath Diego's eyes and the exhaustion the younger man was struggling to hide.
"He's said it will take a miracle for my father to recover."
"Then let us pray for that miracle."
As they walked down the hallway they were joined by Victoria and the padre smiled warmly. The young woman had spent every day at the hacienda since Alejandro had been shot, and he had no doubt it was her presence that had kept Diego from giving in to that anger he had seen Zorro exhibit in the plaza.
After he'd seen Alejandro, the padre called Diego into the sitting room, leaving Victoria and Felipe with his father.
"Diego, you must have faith," the padre began, "his life is in God's hands now."
"I know."
He took Diego's hands and gazed at him imploringly, "lean on Victoria for support. She's here for you and for your family."
Diego smiled grimly. "I don't know what I would have done without her these last few days. She's kept me sane."
Sliding out of his chair, the kind friar knelt beside Diego, "She will be here for you whatever the outcome. That much is clear. Let us pray."
Diego nodded slowly and sank to his knees, praying like he had only prayed once before in his life – when his mother died. Ignored was the throbbing pain in his leg as it bent as was the wetness that seeped through his pant leg as the healing wound tore open again.
Victoria found the two men with their heads bowed and quietly stepped back to the doorframe, waiting patiently until the prayer was completed.
The padre looked up first and beckoned her to join them. He took her hands as she knelt and placed them within Diego's. His heart was lightened when he noticed the look that passed between the young couple. It was not the look of a dear friend, but that of a lover. And it was suddenly clear Victoria knew Diego's secret, for she had never regarded him with such care and adoration in the past.
"He will need your comfort, daughter, in the coming days." The padre rested a gentle hand on Victoria's shoulder.
Victoria carefully pushed at the dark hair that had fallen over Diego's forehead but his head was still bowed and it stubbornly fell back into place. Instead, she rested one hand against his cheek while offering a sad smile to the padre. "I'm here for him." She bent to press a lingering kiss on his cheek. "Always."
The padre nodded, a knowing smile passing across his solemn face. "I'm going to speak with Felipe for a few moments."
Victoria nodded as the padre stepped to the doorway. When he turned to look at Diego and Victoria, he was encouraged to see her wrap her arms around him and embrace him tightly.
"Thank you for everything, Querida," Diego murmured, clinging to her as if to a lifeline. He was tired and every muscle in his body seemed to ache with an unaccustomed pain. But he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, the same vision repeated over and over in his mind's eye – the events in the plaza that had changed his life, and the lives of those he loved, forever.
"I will do anything for you, you know that." Victoria kissed his cheek. Victoria flattened her hands against his neck, again noticing that his skin was warm to the touch. "You feel warm, Diego."
"I'm just tired."
Victoria accepted this without question until they stood, and she noticed the red stain spreading across his upper thigh. "Diego?
"Hmm?" He stared blankly at her, unable, and truly unwilling, to try and form a coherent thought.
"What happened to your leg?"
"Oh," Diego glanced down at the injury and noticed it, seemingly for the first time. "I was injured in the plaza. It's just a small cut."
Victoria flattened her hand across his cheek and then stood on tiptoes to reach his forehead. "Let me see it."
Diego raised an amused eyebrow. "Ah, the bounds of propriety that we will stretch if I allowed that."
Victoria scowled at him. "Diego, you feel warm. If that cut is infected, you need to have it cleaned and properly bound."
Diego rolled his eyes, but had to admit to himself that the cut did sting and he had been negligent in taking proper care of it. "I'll have the doctor take a look at it."
Victoria squinted at him and he raised his hands in surrender.
"I promise!'
Victoria paced the hallways looking for Diego. He hadn't told her he was going to go out and he wasn't in his father's bedroom. She thought he was in bed getting a few hours of much needed sleep. She ran into Felipe in the library, and he stared at her as if he was a cat who'd just been caught with a mouth full of canary. Well, that answered her, as yet, unvoiced question if Felipe truly knew about Diego's secret activities. Obviously, he did.
"Where is he?" she asked and raised a hand when Felipe began to shake his head. "You know where he is. Tell me." Her tone left no room for anything but the truth.
Victoria rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned close. "I know. Tell me where it is."
Felipe stared, unblinking for several moments.
Victoria tried again. "Where is the cave? There must be an entrance around here somewhere."
Felipe's eyes widened and then he slowly nodded. He turned to press the lever beneath the mantle and Victoria stared at the fireplace as the door behind it swung open to reveal a stone lined passageway.
Recognition flooded her mind as she remembered being taken to Zorro's cave – a cave whose walls were completely lined in similar colored stone.
She pushed past Felipe and stepped into the long stone passageway. Wall sconce's lit the way and Victoria followed the light until she reached the top of the stairs she had committed to memory the day Zorro had brought her here.
She looked around the room for several long moments before she decided to investigate the sounds coming from further within the cave.
She glanced sadly at the black silk hanging on the rack and moved toward the sound, stopping abruptly at the sight presented before her.
Diego was mucking out Toronado's stall, with the large black stallion standing further down the dark passage, pawing at the ground and snorting at his master's obviously agitated state. She knew she should be delighted to finally learn more about this secret, to see where Zorro truly lived. But her only concern was for the man she loved. And he needed her.
"Diego?"
When he didn't respond, she stepped into the stall and placed her hand on his arm.
"Diego?"
"I haven't cleaned Toronado's stall for days. He needs food and hay, and I need –"
"Diego – "
He continued as if he hadn't heard her, going about his task with a frantic determination.
Victoria gripped his arms with slender hands and turned him to face her. The pain and anguish she saw in his eyes broke her heart. "You need to stop. The doctor said you needed to stay off your leg. It was infected and it needs to heal. You need to rest."
"I am doing something productive with my time." Diego tried to turn away from her but she held him as tightly as she could. "I can't sit still and rest."
"You need to sleep, Diego. You won't be any good to anyone if you are so tired you cannot even stand. And if that cut doesn't heal properly, it could –."
Again he didn't acknowledge the truth in her words. Instead, he stared accusatorily down at her, "Why aren't you with my father? I only agreed to leave if someone else was going to be sitting with him."
"Don't change the subject, Diego." Victoria fought to keep her voice steady. It would do no good to yell at him now. The stress of the situation could easily prompt them to say things they didn't mean and she didn't want to hurt him. Plus, she had a sneaking suspicion that he had a slight fever and that was irritating his already fragile state of mind and temper.
The two stared at one another for a long moment, the air between them sizzling with barely contained heated emotion. Felipe swallowed nervously, expecting to have to pry the two apart once the yelling began but he was pleasantly surprised when Victoria simply moved into Diego's arms and embraced him tightly.
Victoria didn't care that he smelled like an overworked ranch hand. She simply wanted to hold him, let him know, with this simple gesture, that he was loved. She wasn't certain it was the right thing to do, but it was apparently exactly what he needed. He relaxed against her, the tension flowing from his body as she held him.
"I don't know what I will do if –"
"Don't think that way," Victoria pressed a kiss to his neck, uncertain of what else she could do to comfort him. "Please come lay down. Some rest will help clear your head."
She felt him relax and even though he didn't vocally agree, he allowed her to lead him out of the cave and back into the hacienda.
Felipe stared after them, holding back his own tears, and continued where Diego had left off, a content Toronado happily munching on some fresh oats.
Padre Benitez waited in the sitting room with Diego, Victoria, and Felipe as the doctor examined Alejandro. He had spoken at length with Diego over the past few days, but the young man steadfastly refused to believe that his father would not recover. Diego's own injury and the slight fever that accompanied it drove the young man to even further disbelieve that his father was going to die.
"He's awake, but barely," Doctor Hernandez said as he walked into the sitting room. He turned to Diego. "He is asking for you."
Victoria clutched Diego's hand and they walked into Alejandro's room together, Felipe following slowly, nervously, behind.
The older man looked up at them from his bed and tried to speak but only succeeded in exhaling a deep, shuddering breath.
"No, Father," Diego sat next to the man and took his hand, "don't speak."
"Dying," Alejandro mouthed but Diego stubbornly shook his head.
Victoria stood behind Diego, her hands resting on his shoulders, offering comfort where she wouldn't be in the way. Felipe stood quietly on the other side of the bed.
"Father," Diego began slowly, in a determined tone, "I need to tell you something. I should have told you this so long ago." He shook his head, annoyed with himself. "Maybe this wouldn't have happened –"
Alejandro watched his son expectantly, his breathing labored, his eyes drooping.
Diego bowed his head and Victoria could feel him take a deep breath before looking at his father once again. "I am Zorro."
Alejandro's eyes widened but then the man smiled feebly and breathed, "I – suspected. After Gilberto –"
"Can you forgive me?" Diego pleaded with his father. "I'm sorry for the deception. It's my fault this happened and –"
"No," Alejandro whispered, "Not your fault. Change – is always painful, my son." He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as his breath rasped painfully through his chest. "Do not – grieve –for me. Begin your – life together. Have children –"
Diego shook his head, bravely fighting back tears that sprung to his eyes.
Alejandro looked up at Victoria, at her hands resting on his son's shoulders, and hope flared in his failing heart. He knew he would have grandchildren now. His line would continue. But – he wouldn't be alive to see it. Sadness at the thought threatened to take what little breath he still had. "Will – marry now?"
Diego smiled sadly and Victoria knelt by his side and set her fingers over the entwined ones of the man she loved and the man who had for so long treated her like a daughter. "Yes," she answered with a smile. "And you need to get better so you can walk me down the aisle."
Alejandro smiled wryly, his eyes darting from one face to another. But he coughed then and heaved a deep, labored breath. "Won't – can't, daughter."
Victoria bowed her head to hide the tears that welling in her own eyes. Diego had, thus far, steadfastly succeeded in spilling very few tears. But as his father weakened before his very eyes, she could see the proud barrier he had erected slipping rapidly.
Noticing their sad looks, Alejandro sought to give them comfort. "Will be there – watching." A tender smile fell on his children as he added with as an excited a tone as he could muster. "Will watch my grandchildren too."
Victoria stifled a sob and slipped her fingers in between Diego and Alejandro's joined hands. "We will make sure we fill this hacienda with them." She wrapped her free hand around Diego's forearm, squeezing gently.
Diego stood suddenly and took pulled Victoria to her feet. When he knelt before her, she gasped, knowing instantly what he was going to ask.
"Marry me?" Misty eyes glanced warily up at her with a mixture of guilt for putting her in such a position, and eagerness for her to accept. "Right here. Right now?"
With a wide smile for Alejandro, who watched the scene with astonished disbelief, and a warm, understanding smile for the man who would be her husband, Victoria squeezed his hands. "Yes, Diego. You know I will marry you."
A relieved smile passed across his face as he launched himself to his feet and kissed her soundly. "Stay with Father, I'll get the Padre."
Victoria turned to the man who would soon be her father and took Diego's empty seat. Sliding her hand into Alejandro's, she regarded him with a warm, loving smile. "See now, no walking necessary!"
Alejandro forced a smile but Victoria could tell he was distressed.
"You deserve a – big, elegant wedding, Vic–"
"No," Victoria interrupted, bringing his hand to her lips. "You deserve to see your son happily married. Diego has deprived you many years of joy in seeing your family grow. We want to marry. How or when is of no great consequence." She leaned down and kissed his cheek, "And you have been so much like a father to me. I want you to witness our vows. You, of all people, should not miss this moment."
Tears slipped out of the corners of Alejandro's eyes and Victoria tenderly wiped them away. "Now, stop that. I'm the one who should be crying on my wedding day!"
When Diego returned with padre Benitez, he joined hands with Victoria. Circumstance would not permit them to wait a moment longer, and the padre agreed to perform the marriage, despite the unusual request.
The doctor stood to one side, serving as witness to the hasty marriage. It appeared it would not matter if the medicine he was expecting from Monterrey arrived on schedule – the patient needing it most would not live to receive it.
As Diego and Victoria repeated the words that would bind them irrevocably as husband and wife, the smile that spread across Alejandro's face reached into his eyes. He could see the love his children had for one another and he could sense the love radiating from them when they kissed, sealing their bond. It gave him hope for the future and made his parting from them easier to bear.
Alejandro reached toward the couple and they instantly dropped their hands into his. "You will be – happy together." He struggled to keep his eyes open. He was so tired.
"I will do everything in my power to make Victoria happy, Father," Diego assured the man with a gentle squeeze of his hand. "Now rest, you need to regain your strength."
"That's right," Victoria added with a forced smile. "You need to be in perfect health to chase our little ones around the hacienda."
Alejandro smiled at the thought and sank weakly into the mattress. "Yes, would like to – see them." He closed his eyes and heaved a deep, shuddering breath.
Seeing that Alejandro was weakening, the padre excused himself to give the family as much time with the man as possible. The doctor followed, fighting his own tears at the fading life of such a dear friend.
Diego resumed his seat next to his father and took the older man's hand. Victoria covered their hands with her own and squeezed gently.
Alejandro heaved another deep breath and held out his hand to Felipe, bringing him close, into their family. "Care for one another," he whispered, the life fading from his eyes with each difficult breath, "I – will kiss – mother for you."
Diego sobbed then, as Alejandro's eyes closed for the last time. The last words his son heard were the barely audible, "I love you," before the strength faded and his body relaxed into the mattress.
Tears slipped down Victoria's cheeks as she watched Diego lay his head on his father's chest and give in to the grief and tears that he had held back for so long. His shoulders shook with painful, sharp sobs, which only caused Victoria and Felipe's tears to flow more earnestly down their cheeks.
When the doctor stepped into the doorway, he sighed sadly and glanced back at the padre. The two men waited in the sitting room, giving Alejandro's family the privacy they needed.
After a long while, Victoria reached out a trembling hand to Diego's back. He didn't respond to her touch, simply lay with his head on his father's chest, his arms still wrapped around his father's shoulders.
"Diego?" Victoria whispered, noticing the padre and the doctor waiting silently in the entryway.
At the sound of his name, Diego shook his head. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He wanted to be left alone.
Victoria looked helplessly at the padre, pleading with him through tear-filled eyes for aid.
The friar nodded solemnly and came to stand by her side, replacing Victoria's hand on Diego's back with his own. "Come away, Diego. Doctor Hernandez has some work yet to perform."
Diego stiffened but slid back into the chair beside the bed. His head bowed, his hand still clutched his father's unmoving one.
"Come," Benitez knelt beside the chair and touched Diego's arm. "We need to speak privately."
Time moved slowly as Diego stood and let himself be led out of the room. His body moved sluggishly, as if a thick cloud of haze had descended around him and restricted all but the slowest of movement.
Victoria went to Felipe and wrapped her arms around him, needing, as much as wanting, to give comfort to the distraught boy.
TBC
Thethirdtroll – Ahhh, there we go. See, is it so difficult to call me mean and evil with every post? I have come to expect it, you know :)
Icyfire – good to see you reviewing! Does this mean you are writing too? I hope so! Your stories are wonderful!
WolfDaughter - Here's the next chapter for your fix. Don't hurt me too badly. Sorry it isn't what you hoped for. There are reasons for so much angst, though.
Beverly – Well, yes, he does rather ignore his injury and it makes life a bit more difficult because of it. Delicious post mortems…well, there is a scene in the next chapter that some may call delicious . . . but sadness and pain bring them together.
TomcatGM – ohh, someone new! Thanks for the review! Hope you keep reading and enjoying all the fic! I've not heard from my beta and am posting this next chapter anyway. So, hope you like it. The content in this one is a first for me.