***
Daniel’s next interview was with the midwife. She was a large woman in her mid-50s who had a serious demeanor and appeared as solid as a rock. She said very little and answered his questions with one or two words. She became more descriptive when he asked her to describe the delivery itself. She told him how the Queen had been positioned in the delivery chair and the chair rocked back for the delivery. Progress had been normal and the head was presenting in the normal fashion. When the baby was ready to be born she had the Queen push and a fairly small baby was born without trauma. She tied off the umbilical cord and carried the baby to the birth table. When she examined the baby it was obvious that the baby boy had a protruded bellybutton. Because of this signal deformity, she applied the breathing test mask to the baby’s face. The baby stopped breathing and died, proving it was deformed. She wrapped the baby in a blanket so nobody could see it and then told the Queen the baby had died.
When Daniel asked her about the breathing test mask she explained how it covered the baby’s nose and forced the baby to breathe through its mouth. Deformed babies had such large tongues that they were unable to breathe through their mouths and died. It was the test prescribed by the church for all babies born with a protruding bellybutton. At Daniel’s request she explained that the deformed babies were usually small in size, with small heads and unusual looking faces. She had done her duty as proscribed. Now she needed to get back to work. Daniel thanked her and sat thinking about the deformity and how it compared to the babies he had taken care of in the housing for the half-brains.
Daniel’s last interview was with Betty, the Half Brain servant of the Queen, whom he had operated on several months prior. He met with her in the garden room. She was obviously nervous and Daniel tried to calm her by saying, “I’m glad to see you are doing so well since your surgery. Thanks for coming to talk with me.”
Betty responded in her high-pitched childlike voice, “OK, the queen told me you wanted to ask some questions. I don’t know much.”
Daniel smiled and said, “I think you know a lot more than most people think you do. How have you been feeling?”
“I feel pretty good except for being tired. Working and having a baby makes one tired. Of course the Queen is nice to me so I don’t have to work so hard.”
Daniel said, “The Queen said you helped her while she was pregnant and drank the sacred water for her. What was it like drinking that water?”
“I tried to help her because she was so sick and the water made her worse. That church guy got mad when she didn’t drink all of the water. It wasn’t so bad, it tasted kinda like salt. Me, I didn’t have much morning sickness. I think the water made me feel better.”
“In what way?”
“I dunno, I was so tired and it seemed to give me some energy. I know it made my baby feel better because he sure started kicking a lot more after I drank the water.”
“How is your baby?”
“Fine. He’s six months old now.”
“The queen said she hadn’t seen your baby yet. Why not?”
Betty looked away when she answered, “I didn’t want her to feel bad cause she lost her baby.”
“Can I see your baby?”
“Why?”
“I’d like to make sure that the sacred water didn’t harm him.”
“He’s fine.”
“I’d still like to see him.”
“He’s not here.”
“Can I come to your quarters and see him there?”
“Why?”
“Just to look at him. I won’t hurt him.”
“I don’t know why you have to see him. He’s fine.”
“I helped you when you were sick, I don’t understand why you won’t let me see your baby?”
There was much anguish in Betty’s face as she finally agreed. She told Daniel to meet her outside of quarters just before sundown. When Daniel arrived, Betty was waiting with a baby in her arms. She handed the baby to Daniel without saying anything. Daniel examined the baby who had all the stigmata of the half brain child. It was fairly flaccid with a hoarse cry. His eyes were wide spaced on a face that resembled an old man’s more than a baby’s. Most obviously, it had a large protruding bellybutton and a tongue which seemed huge for the mouth size.
When Daniel finished the exam he handed the fussing baby back to Betty. He watched as she bundled the baby up and held it up to her breast. The baby turned to nurse but then turned away and began crying again. Betty tried singing to the baby but it did not settle down.
“Daniel said, “Betty. this isn’t your baby is it?”
Tears began running down Betty’s face as she shook her no.
“Betty, I need to see your baby. I won’t harm it and I won’t tell anybody else about it. You have to trust me so that I can help the Queen.”
Betty turned and entered the low roofed building. Daniel followed but had to bend over to get through the doorway. The ceiling was so low that he had to keep his head stooped over while inside. Inside they were met by a young woman who took the baby immediately from Betty. Betty continued down the hallway to her own small room. It was big enough for just a bed and a few boxes stacked on top of each other. It was clean and had only a few bits of colored cloth for decoration. Next to the bed was a box that was being used as a cradle. Betty picked up her baby and handed it to Daniel. It was a much larger baby and lacked the stigmata of the half brains. It seemed to be a normal healthy boy.
Daniel asked, “Why were you afraid for me to see your son? He is very healthy.”
Betty could hardly talk because of her tears. She started nursing as much for her own comfort as for the baby’s. She finally said, “I don’t want them to take him away. You’re not going to take him from me are you?”
“Why would they take your baby away from you?”
“Because he’s different and they always take away the babies that are different.”
“I’ll keep your secret.”
Daniel left with a heavy heart, as he pondered what he had learned.
Half Brains, Sacred Water book 1 Page 3