Chapter 41 – Bad temper

Diego walked through the fireplace, got out through the window, and then went to the front door pretending he had just arrived home.

"Diego! Thank God you are here! Come, quick," Victoria said when she spotted him in the hall.

"What's wrong?" he said, following her down the corridor into Esteban's bedroom.

"Esteban had another fit and bit his tongue. Your father sent for the doctor, but he is bleeding a lot from the wound and Felipe can't stop it."

Felipe sat by the bed, struggling with a blood-soaked piece of cloth because Esteban would not stand still.

"Let me see," he said, touching Felipe's shoulder so he would get out of the way.

Esteban was still semiconscious but he didn't let anybody touch his painful mouth, shaking his head from side to side.

"Hold his head still, Father," he ordered. Don Alejandro followed his instructions, holding firmly both sides of his nephew's head, pinning him down.

"Where have you been?" the old don asked while Diego examined Esteban's tongue. It was bleeding profusely, but the deep cut didn't look too bad to be much of a problem to heal.

"I went to the East wood searching for a plant that could help Esteban with the seizures, but I didn't find any," Diego said without looking at his father, concentrated as he was applying pressure directly on the wound, ignoring the pain when his cousin bit down on his hand.

"Yes, Zorro said he saw you heading that way."

"Did he? When? Was he there?"

"Yes. I'll fill you in later. For some reason, you always miss the action, Son."

"I am here now in the middle of it, don't you think?" Diego spat. The euphoric effects of the coca leaves had run out, and once again, the irritation and bad temper that usually followed would take over soon if he wasn't careful.

Esteban started to come around then, focusing his eyes on Diego. He tried to speak but Diego held his tongue firmly with the piece of cloth, pushing his forehead down, sinking his head deep into the pillow.

"Shhh. Don't try to speak and stand still. You bit your tongue badly during the last seizure. Didn't I tell you to always use the stick?"

Esteban tried to speak again, grunting, and Diego slapped his forehead.

"Don't talk, idiota. Stand still!"

"Diego, is it necessary to be so rough?" Victoria said.

"That's his nickname: "idiota", because he is such an idiot sometimes. And now what he needs to do is to stand still, don't talk, and let me work in this." And stop biting me!

"Hold on and let Diego fix that mess, please. Stand still," Don Alejandro said in a much softer, sympathetic tone, softening the tight grip on Esteban's head, also surprised by Diego's roughness.

"Look, idiota, I think that wound will heal much better and faster if I stitch it up, because otherwise I don't know when it will stop bleeding, but you need to stand still and relax. It will be painful, but I think it's worth it. Can you do that? Can you stick your tongue out and stand still?"

Esteban tried to shake his head and grunted again, complaining, and Diego let go of his tongue.

"No! Don't touch it!" Esteban cried with an odd, gurgly voice. Pressure free, the wound continued gushing blood then, and Esteban swallowed some, spatting the rest out. When he realized the seriousness of the situation, as his mouth kept filling up with blood, he changed his mind. "All right, do what you have to, smartarse."

"As I said, you have to stand still. And don't bite me!"

"I'll try."

"All right, I am going to get all the stuff I need. Felipe, please, carry on applying pressure to the wound until I return. And you, don't you dare biting Felipe," he said while shaking his badly bruised hand in the air, hissing.

He left the room then quickly to get to the library, but Victoria followed him down the corridor.

"Diego, don't you think —."

"Not now, Victoria. Go back there, please."

"You shouldn't talk to him as if —."

"Go back to that room!"

Victoria looked at him, visibly hurt by his tone and attitude.

"Who are you?" she said with her eyes narrowed, dragging her words.

"I'm sorry, Victoria, but I am having a very bad day, and I really don't have much time to talk now. Go back in there, please. I'll be with you as soon as I can, once I collect everything I need."

She turned around then, pouting, and went back to Esteban's bedroom. Out of sight from everybody, Diego reached the library and actioned the lever to the secret door.

Down at the cave he gathered everything he needed to stitch up the wound, and then automatically reached for the coca powder. He hesitated with the little box in his hand, because if he kept taking so much it would run out in less than two days. But now the gunshot wound hurt —not to mention his chewed-up hand— and he felt in a foul mood, so taking some more was justified this time. Or… was it?

In addition to the small amount of powder left in that box he still had some crystals he had not pulverized yet, from the last batch of leaves, and when he saw those he had an idea, remembering the first time he tried them his tongue got numbed. So, despite his own need for the drug, he thought the best thing he could do was using the crystals to numb Esteban's tongue and forget about getting another high that evening.

ZZZ

"I can't feel my tongue now," Esteban said with a nearly unintelligible, guttural, babbling voice.

"That's precisely the point. Your tongue got numbed with those crystals I gave you before. Now, stand still, please. Hold on."

Esteban didn't complain while Diego stitched the wound in his tongue because he could not feel much of anything to complain about. Satisfied with the result, as the wound hardly bled anymore when he finished the job, Diego let go of the tongue, closed Esteban's mouth shut, and stood up.

"All done. Now, keep quiet, rest, and don't talk. I know it will be bloody difficult for you to comply, but please don't move your tongue. And learn sign language. Felipe can help you with that. He can give you a crash-course, can't you Felipe?"

The youngster nodded with a cheeky smile on his face. This was too much fun for him.

"Thanks, smartarse," Esteban said with his guttural, babbling voice.

"What did I say, idiota?" Diego said, slapping his forehead again. "Shut up!"

Victoria pushed Diego to a side then, sending him an angry look full of reproach, and she sat by the bed, taking Esteban's hand while combing back his sweaty fringe.

"Do as he say, please. Don't talk and rest while your tongue heals. And don't you worry about anything. We'll watch over you."

Before Diego could say anything inappropriate, upsetting Victoria even more, luckily for him Doctor Hernández arrived at the hacienda. He had a quick look at Esteban and then congratulated Diego.

"You did a terrific job there. People should stop calling me to attend their afflictions and call you instead."

"Thank you, doctor, but I don't think so. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Yes, sure."

Doctor Hernández followed Diego to his room to have some privacy.

"Do you mind having a look at the gunshot wound, please? I stretched my side too much today, and it has come open again."

He took off his waistcoat and lifted the shirt for the doctor to have a look at the wound, wincing in pain when he probed it with his finger.

"I don't know, Diego. This is taking a long time to heal, way too much. By now it shouldn't give you so much trouble, but of course, that nasty burn on the skin is not helping matters at all. Maybe there is a fistula forming there, and that's not good news. I may need to remove all that abnormal tissue down to the muscles and close the wound again. And that will be painful."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. And I am not looking forward to that, no."

"But, let's not rush into dramatic measures yet. Rest and see if the wound closes again first, all right? Rest and try not to stretch it, of course."

"Yes, I'll try. Doctor, do you have any more coca leaves left? Could I have some more, please?"

"No. You have been taking too much already, sorry. I don't think it is a good idea, and besides, I only have a few more left and I should keep them for an emergency. You should wean off that medicine instead of taking more. I know that wound hurts, but not so much to justify the use of this powerful drug, does it?"

"Please. Just a little bit more. Only for a few more days."

"I am doing this for your own good, Diego," the doctor said, placing an understanding hand on his shoulder. "You have to stop taking that stuff. I am worried about you."

"Yeah, Felipe is worried too. I know I probably should not take it, but I can't help it. Thank you anyway, doctor," Diego said, sulking.

When Diego returned to Esteban's room, he suffered a strong pang of jealousy when he saw the way Victoria was still all over him. Not long ago, at the garden, she had assured Zorro she wasn't in love with Esteban, but that did indeed look like a woman in love. Maybe she was in denial about it, or she was simply overcompensating for the way he had treated his cousin, as she seemed quite upset about his rough handling. Either way, Diego didn't like it. Not at all.

ZZZ

Despite the intense gossiping in the pueblo, Victoria continued visiting Esteban every day that week. His tongue healed surprisingly fast, and in only a few days he was talking and eating normally. His father had contemplated the idea of missing the ship and staying longer in California, but Esteban assured him there was no need for that, and that he should return home with his wife.

"How long do you want to leave Mother on her own? It's not fair. I am fine. I'll be alright here. Look, I am already having less seizures: only three since Monday."

That much was true. For whatever reason —maybe because of the blood loss or any other unknown factor, because Doctor Hernández didn't have a clue—, the number of seizures he was suffering had reduced dramatically, and everybody thought that was a very good sign.

"All right. If you are that sure, I'll board that ship tomorrow," Don Emilio said.

ZZZ

That night Zorro paid a surprise visit to Victoria. Things had been quiet at the pueblo recently, and the alcalde had not given him a reason to appear in public. He was probably engineering another convoluted plan to catch Zorro, but so far, he had caused him no trouble.

This time, Zorro waited until all the customers had gone, and when she closed the tavern's front door he sneaked in through the back one and waited for her in the kitchen.

"Zorro! I wasn't expecting you tonight. Everyone is gone now," she said when she came in carrying a large tray of empty jars. She left the tray on the table and walked closer to him. Zorro noticed she didn't show the usual enthusiasm, not running to his side to embrace him tightly, but he didn't know what could be the reason.

"Yes, I know. I am fed up of not having a single moment to have your exclusive attention anymore, preciosa," he said, taking her hands. When he leaned over to kiss her she turned her face to a side, away from his kiss, and his lips landed on her cheek. Never a good sign.

"What's wrong? Don Alejandro is not here today to scold you," he said, upset. He had run out of the coca leaves two days ago and he had been short-tempered and irritable ever since. And for that reason, an unresponsive, dismissive girlfriend could tip him to the edge easily.

"Nothing is wrong. I don't want kisses tonight, that's all."

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust you. We are alone tonight. You may start with a kiss, and then… you'll want something else."

"Really? You don't trust me, or you don't trust yourself?"

Victoria slapped him hard then.

"I have no problem to control myself! It is you who has the problem!"

Zorro ignored her and held her wrists, kissing her again, this time claiming her mouth. She wriggled then, complaining, until he let go of her. The moment her hands were free she slapped him again.

"See what I mean? What's the matter with you? Why do you behave like this?"

"Like what? Like a man in love with his fiancée? You are the one acting odd. Only a few days ago you said you love me, but I am not so sure about that anymore."

"You believe the rumours then, is that it? That I am a slut, making love with Don Esteban any chance I have every time I am at the hacienda De la Vega…"

"No, not really. But I don't understand what are you playing at."

"I am… confused."

"Confused? About what?"

"About everything. About you, me, this clandestine life I swore I would live while I wait for you… Every day is a struggle. Sometimes I don't think I can do it anymore."

And here I thought I was the one hitting a low point today, Zorro thought. Right then, before he could reply, a soldier cried:

"There is Toronado! Zorro must be around! Lancers!"

"Maldita sea mi estampa! Can I ever have a minute of peace?" Zorro cried. "I am very sorry, Victoria. I know this illustrate your point, but please, don't give up on me yet. I'll come back to talk about this, or we'll meet somewhere else, all right? I have to go now before they surround the tavern, mi amor. I am so sorry. I have to go." He kissed her forehead hurriedly and left the kitchen through the back door, whistling for Toronado."

Yes, this is the kind of thing that illustrates my point perfectly well, she thought while hugging her own shoulders in desperation, with tears running down her face.

ZZZZZ