CHAPTER 6 #4
The maid, glancing nervously at the two in the office, hastily continued, "The young masters have gone to light the rockets and pray, but the birthing stool and the jade are all covered in blood!"
"What is the doctor doing?!"
"The doctor suggested that the lady watch a whipping scene, saying that it could shock her and help with the delivery—"
"Take me to her, quickly," Hedy said without thinking. "I’ll help her."
She couldn’t even imagine how this ignorant time might torture a pregnant woman.
Both mother and child must be safe.
The birthing room was filled with a pungent odor.
As Hedy approached, she could smell the familiar scent of blood and hear the agonizing groans of the woman in labor.
Lorenzo was anxiously pacing near the partition, calling out loudly, "Clarice—"
Maidservants were coming and going, carrying hot water, all looking bewildered and helpless.
Hedy immediately washed her hands thoroughly and entered the semi-enclosed room.
A pale-faced woman was seated on the birthing stool, swaying dangerously, almost about to collapse.
"I'll handle this," Hedy said, instinctively pushing aside the strange silver hook someone had brought out, and went to check on the lady.
The baby's head was already visible, but its shoulders were stuck inside.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a more complicated problem.
Clarice had exhausted all her strength and was now gasping for breath, wanting nothing more than to lie down and rest.
The midwife was shouting commands, and someone even swung a whip, attempting to frighten her into exerting more force.
"Put away the hook and the knife—what do you think you’re doing to the child?!" Hedy snapped, not caring about her position, and added angrily, "Quick, come help me lift her legs!"
Having given birth to two children in her past life, she remembered the process clearly—no matter how many births she'd experienced, it would always be unforgettable.
She helped Clarice sit up, instructing her to hold onto her thighs, which would reduce spinal curvature and expand the pelvic outlet.
"Give her some pain relief medicine—wasn’t there some when someone got hurt earlier?" Hedy continued, gently rubbing her back and speaking softly to calm her down. She glanced at the midwife. "Or at least bring a warm compress?"
"No, my lady..." the midwife replied, a little surprised.
"Why not?"
The midwife looked at her in disbelief. "Because it’s God’s punishment for women... easing the pain during childbirth would be desecrating the divine!"
"Fuck—" Hedy muttered under her breath. Seeing the cold sweat covering the woman’s forehead, she snapped, "Bring her hot soup at least, or give her something to eat!"
Hedy instructed another maid to support the exhausted Clarice from behind, while she herself continued to press on the pubic bone, gently guiding the baby’s head out.
Why couldn’t this man just practice birth control?!
Did he have to keep fathering an entire football team of children?!
The squatting position to assist with childbirth, combined with pressing on the front shoulder, seemed to be working well. The baby slowly emerged, covered in blood.
An elderly woman grabbed a pair of scissors to cut the umbilical cord, but Hedy stopped her sharply.
"The scissors—have they been sterilized?"
"No, they need to be heated over the fire!"
Hedy knew how important it was for those scissors to be clean—any carelessness could lead to a risk of tetanus infection for both the mother and the baby, possibly even resulting in death.
Everyone knew her status, and all of them responded with utmost respect and caution, following her instructions exactly.
The baby was finally brought out, quiet and still.
"It's a boy—My lord!" someone announced.
Lorenzo, waiting anxiously, asked, "How is Clarice?"
"She’s fine, she’s drinking soup!" Hedy replied, her face pale as she looked down at the baby, her breath halting.
Why isn't he crying?
Why isn’t he crying?!
She checked the baby's mouth for any obstructions, then adjusted his position and gave his bottom a gentle slap.
If he didn’t cry soon, it would mean severe oxygen deprivation, and the consequences would be disastrous.
As soon as her hand made contact with his bottom, the baby let out a loud, strong cry.
The midwife looked at her in surprise, and Hedy realized what had just happened. Holding the baby carefully, she explained seriously, "This is a blessing to God."
The others nodded in agreement, and they began to assist in helping Clarice sit up.
Outside, rockets soared into the sky in spirals, children praying for a safe and successful birth for their mother.
Although people in this era didn't have sterilization techniques or professional obstetric care, they surprisingly knew how to stitch up torn wounds.
They cleaned the area with alcohol and butter, carefully stitching up the tear with three stitches, all without the need for anesthesia.
—Modern methods might not even need it because the pain of childbirth already overshadowed everything else.
Hedy finally sighed in relief, then took a warm towel to wipe Clarice’s neck and body.
Clarice, weak and exhausted, reached out to touch her. Her voice was faint and frail, "Is... is the baby healthy?"
"Very healthy, his cry is loud and strong." Hedy took her hand and instinctively said, "If you continue having children like this... it’s really bad for your health..."
There could be prolapsed uterus.
"I... I don't know what to do." The usually composed and gentle lady showed an expression of despair. "Every time, just after giving birth, if I sleep with him, I get pregnant again."
She almost had to endure this pain every year. The previous set of twins had died early, and now, the complications with this one had her stuck halfway through childbirth, as though trapped in a nightmare.
Hedy carefully helped her drink warm salted water, then instinctively asked, "Don’t you... use contraception?"
"I’ve always... kept a weasel’s testicle in my nightgown pocket," Clarice slowly closed her eyes. "But it doesn’t work."
Hedy gently helped her lie down and rest. It took her a moment to process everything.
It was terrifying...
If she were to get married and have children in this time, one wrong move and she might die here.
After finishing her bath and changing, Hedy returned to find a smiling older woman handing her a money pouch.
"The lord has given everyone some reward money! And told us to throw away those hooks!" the woman said with a wide smile.
Hedy didn’t want to ask what the hooks were used for, instead turning her attention to the baby soundly asleep in the cradle.
"What's his... name?"
"Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici," the elderly woman replied with a nostalgic expression. "It’s the name of the lord’s brother."
Hedy froze for a moment, suddenly remembering the blood-red Mass from last April.
His younger brother had died less than a year ago. This boy truly was born out of suffering, and even his name came with a unique history, different from that of other children.
Now, in the palace, there was a child named Giuliano, the illegitimate son of one of the lords, alongside seven other children born of the lords and their wives. It was almost like a kindergarten.
She took a nap, then finished the experimental design paper on lead products and asked Dechio to deliver it to the office. Afterward, she went to the monastery where Da Vinci worked.
The draft of the Adoration of the Magi mural was finally completed.
When Da Vinci saw her, he instinctively sniffed the air. Her long hair, loose and fragrant with the smell of moonlit oranges, her flushed face, and bright eyes indicated that her health had improved significantly.
"I heard about what happened in the palace—how you saved the lady of the house," he said, putting down his paintbrush and smiling genuinely. "From now on, you are forever a guest of the Medici family."
Difficult births happened almost every few days in the city, but few were successfully resolved.
The people of Florence had heard of the alchemist who brought the fat woman back to life in the square, and their opinion of her was full of admiration and gratitude. They were thankful for the Medici family’s protection and guidance and sincerely hoped for the lady’s good health.
As for Hedy’s new-found honor and fame, she remained indifferent. She moved closer to the wall to examine the draft that Da Vinci had drawn using lead strips and suddenly asked, "Leonardo—"
"It’s Leonardo."
"Leonardo, do you think there will be a war in the future?"
Da Vinci hadn’t expected that she would care little about the lavish gifts and rewards and instead focus on something else entirely. He thought for a moment before replying, "I don’t know."
"But if war is really coming... I think I would make an excellent mechanical engineer."
Hedy froze for a second, seeming not to have heard him clearly. "Excuse me, what?"
"A mechanical engineer. I love designing all kinds of firearms and large siege weapons," Da Vinci replied, sounding suddenly interested. "Do you want to see some of my designs in my workshop?"
"I’ve been thinking of a movable fortress-like cannon, one that could move around, crushing the enemy while shooting gunpowder!"
Hedy was stunned for a few seconds. "You—designed that?"
Da Vinci was a painter, right?
No, even if he wasn't a painter, he was still an artist, wasn’t he?
Da Vinci laughed. "Come on, I’ll show you the models I’ve made."
As for painting... well, tomorrow! Tomorrow, for sure!