CHAPTER 33: ROOTS AND REMEDIES

Xitllali

He didn't move.

The bright beam from Valdo's flashlight hit his face. His head fell to the side, and his chin touched his chest.

"Boss," Valdo said, his voice filled with panic.

He dropped to his knees beside us. His large hands reached for Guillermo's neck, and he pressed two fingers against it to check his pulse.

"Is he breathing? Is he okay?" I asked, my voice shaking so badly that I could barely speak. I picked up Guillermo's limp hand from the dirt and held it tightly. "Valdo, is he breathing?"

"He's breathing, Señora," he said, looking up at me.

In the light of the flashlight, I could see the fear on Valdo's face.

"But he's burning up," he continued, his voice filled with worry. "His body is getting weaker. We need to cool him down right now."

"We need a hospital!" I cried, tears filling my eyes.

"We can't," Valdo said firmly. "The boss is too weak to defend himself. If we carry him into the street and any of Severo's men see us, we won't be able to fight back."

I stared at Guillermo's still face. My chest tightened so much that it hurt to breathe.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

Panicking wouldn't save him. Crying on the floor wouldn't help him either. If we couldn't leave the cellar, I had to find a way to help him right there.

I couldn't let him die like this, bleeding on the dirt floor while trying to protect me.

I let go of his hand and looked around the cellar.

This was my space. I knew every corner of it. I didn't just use it to store flower bulbs. Because it stayed cool underground, I also used it to dry and store my medicinal herbs.

"Point the light over there," I ordered. My voice suddenly became steady. I pointed toward the far corner of the cellar.

Valdo quickly turned the flashlight toward the corner.

Thick bundles of dried plants hung from the low ceiling. Below them stood several glass jars and plastic buckets.

"I need water," I told Valdo, quickly getting to my feet. "Did you bring any?"

He reached for his belt and took out a metal canteen. "Only this. It's for drinking. There's not enough to bathe him."

"It's enough," I said, taking it from him.

I hurried toward the corner.

The flashlight followed me as I grabbed a small glass jar from the wooden shelf. Beside it stood a plastic bucket I used for my orchids. I opened it and found thick, cold clay inside.

I carried the jar and dragged the heavy bucket back to Guillermo.

"Valdo, put the flashlight on that crate and point it at his chest," I ordered, dropping to my knees beside him. "Don't turn it off. I need to see what I'm doing."

"The battery might run out, Señora," he warned, but he placed the flashlight on the wooden box. The bright light shone directly on Guillermo.

"I don't care about the battery," I said. "Keep it on."

My hands were shaking, but I forced myself to focus. I reached for the buttons on Guillermo's coat and opened it.

Then I quickly unbuttoned his shirt. As I pulled the fabric apart, the heat coming from his chest hit me at once.

The white bandage around his shoulder was soaked with blood.

"Take off his bandage," I whispered.

Valdo used his pocket knife to cut away the bloody gauze. Guillermo let out a weak groan of pain, but his eyes remained closed.

I opened the small glass jar.

"What's that?" Valdo asked.

"White willow bark," I explained, pouring a small handful of the dried bark into my palm. "It's traditionally used to help with pain and fever. And this..." I pointed to a smaller jar. "It's dried eucalyptus to help with breathing."

I crushed the herbs together in my hand. "Pour a little water here," I told Valdo.

He poured a few drops from his canteen. It was just enough to turn the dried herbs into a thick paste.

"Help me lift his head," I said.

He gently placed his hand under Guillermo's neck and lifted his head. I carefully rubbed a little of the herbal paste along Guillermo's lips and gums, hoping some of it would help him. I knew these herbs well, and I prayed they would bring down his fever and ease his breathing.

"Now we need to bring his temperature down, fast," I said, feeling the terrible heat coming from his body.

I looked at the large plastic bucket of clay. It had been sitting in the cool cellar for months, so the thick clay was cold.

I grabbed the bottom of my sweater and tore off a long strip of fabric. Then I scooped up some of the cold, wet clay with my bare hands. I placed it in the middle of the fabric and folded the cloth over it to make a thick pack.

"Move his coat completely out of the way," I told Valdo.

He pulled the heavy coat aside. Then I gently pressed the clay pack against Guillermo's bare chest, right over his racing heart.

The moment the cold clay touched his burning skin, Guillermo flinched. He let out a sharp gasp, and his chest rose as his body reacted to the cold. He was too weak to move much.

"Hold him still," I whispered, keeping the clay pack in place. "It's okay, Guillermo. Just breathe."

I quickly made two more cold packs using the rest of the cloth and clay. I placed one gently against the back of his neck and the other against his burning forehead.

"Hold this one against his chest," I told Valdo, guiding his hand into place.

I grabbed a damp piece of cloth and began wiping the sweat from Guillermo's face and arms. The clay packs warmed up quickly against his hot skin. Whenever they became warm, I replaced them with fresh, cool clay.

Under the steady light of the flashlight, I worked as quickly as I could, trying to cool his body.

After nearly an hour of constant work, my arms were aching. I sat back on my heels, breathing heavily.

"Will it work, Señora?" Valdo asked quietly. He stared at his boss in the light.

"It has to," I whispered, my throat tight.

He nodded slowly. "I'll give you some space. I'm going to sit near the ladder and keep watch with my rifle. I'll leave the light here for you."

"Thank you, Valdo," I said softly.

He moved to the other side of the small cellar and sat in the shadows near the ladder.

I crawled closer to Guillermo and carefully lifted his heavy head. Then I sat down and placed his head on my lap to keep it off the cold ground.

I wrapped my arms around his broad chest to keep the clay packs in place and make sure he didn't fall to the side.

The flashlight remained pointed at us. In its light, I could see every drop of sweat on his forehead.

His skin was still hot, but I hoped he was slowly getting better.

Hours passed slowly. The cellar was freezing, and my legs began to go numb from sitting on the hard dirt floor with his head on my lap. Still, I refused to move.

I stayed beside him, replacing the clay on his forehead whenever it became warm.

In the quiet cellar, with nothing but the sound of his weak breathing and Valdo keeping watch, I looked down at the man resting on my lap.

He had controlled my life in Guadalajara, and I had spent two years hating him and running away from him.

But now, sitting there with dirt on my clothes and his blood on my hands, all I felt was guilt.

He had given up so much for me. He had allowed everyone to see him as the villain so I could stay hidden and safe. Even now, when he could barely hold on to life, his last concern had been making sure I had a passport and a chance to escape again.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and fell onto his bare shoulder.

"You stubborn fool," I whispered into the dark cellar, leaning closer until my lips were near his ear. "Don't you dare die on me. Do you hear me? I refuse to let your blood be on my hands."

I held him more tightly.

I didn't know how I felt about him anymore. My anger was slowly fading, replaced by feelings I couldn't understand. Part of me still remembered everything he had done, but another part couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

But one thing was clear.

I wanted him to live.

After a few hours, I felt a shift. The terrifying heat coming from his chest slowly began to drop, and his shallow breathing finally deepened, settling into a slow, steady rhythm.

His fever had broken.

A massive wave of relief washed over me. I leaned my back against the cold wall, kept his head safe in my lap, and finally closed my eyes.