I told him I’d shoot him if Rebecca did not make a full recovery.

Evan Wilson They all waited, impatiently outside of Rebecca’s room. Robert Curtin, the young engineer, the man who’d proudly declared that emotions never ran his life sat, broken, crying, now, nearly inconsolable. “All my fault, all my fault.” He sat forward with his head in his hands eyes red from crying so hard. Dan George patted him on the shoulder.

“Come on now man, you’ve got to be strong, be ready when she needs you.”

Zapata was respectful and kind to Marta. He could see it in her eyes. She was not easily shaken this one, but her most favorite person in the world was lying in the next room. They did not know if she would live or die. She held Zapata’s hand and he covered it, patted her gently with his palm.

“He’s the best surgeon in Mexico.” He waited for Marta to look up. “I only just captured him a few days ago. I told him I’d shoot him if Rebecca did not make a full recovery.”

She smiled a weak smile and looked into his eyes. “General, if she dies, I don’t know, I don’t want to live.” Curtin heard her and his tears began to flow more freely. He wasn’t embarrassed. He didn’t care who saw him cry. 

An eternity passed and the surgeon finally emerged from her bedroom. He looked tired. He looked on at Zapata then to the others. “The wound is clean and the bleeding has stopped. She will likely lose some use of one lung, but they’ll live.”

Marta jerked her head up. “They’ll live?”

“Young lady, your sister is going to have a baby.” The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest