Hours later, the doctors were still busy running in and out of the ward.

“Doctor, what’s happening to our son?” Sam pleaded as Dr Dlamini rushed past.

“We are trying our best to save him, sir, please allow us to do our job,” Dr Dlamini replied.

Thirty minutes later, Dr Dlamini came out of the ward, looking defeated.

Sam and Gugu looked at each other, and without anyone saying anything they already knew what awaited them. Gugu’s legs buckled under her and she wailed in pain and disbelief.

“Tell me, our son is okay, doctor!” Sam begged.

Dr Dlamini just shook her head sadly. “We tried our best, but unfortunately we lost him,” she said.

For a moment there the world seemed to be closing in on the two lovers.

Then a clattering sound brought Sam, the nurses and Dr Dlamini to life. Gugu had fallen and lost consciousness.

“Rush her to the ward and check her blood pressure and pulse. It might be the shock, but I could be wrong,” Dr Dlamini said to a nurse. “Also call Dr Jones, it might be better that a physician takes over at this stage.”

As the nurses lifted Gugu onto a trolley and took her back to the ward, Sam went with them, holding Gugu’s hand. “Love, please wake up, I can’t lose our son and you on the same day, please wake up!” he called, crying.

“Sir, please allow us to do our jobs,” one of the nurses said, gently pushing Sam out of the room.

The defeated Sam rushed to the ward where his son had been.

A nurse was busy removing the tubes from the little body. “Would you like to have a moment before we need to take him to the morgue,” she asked gently.

“Yes please,” Sam said.

Sam took his son into his arms and stood there motionless, just holding on to his son in the hope he would move.

“I was about to name you when the machines started beeping and now you are gone,” Sam said softly. “I’ll name you Enzokuhle, for I believe you would have lived up to the name. I loved you from the day your mommy told me she was pregnant.”

Tears made their way down Sam’s cheeks. “I was ready to be a father!” he cried.

Thoughts crowded his head as he gave his son back to the nurse. Dear God, why did you allow us to fall in love with him, for him to be born but not be held? All the hope we carried …

*****

A week later, Gugu was still in a coma. Sam waited next to her bed, hoping for a miracle, as the doctors didn’t know why she was still unconscious.

Dr Jones, her new doctor, came into the ward. “Our tests show that there is nothing wrong with her. I still believe she just went into shock,” he said when Sam asked for news.

“Then why is she not waking up doctor?” asked Gugu’s brother, Musa, who had also come in when he saw the doctor.

“That I have no answer to,” Dr Jones answered honestly, before moving on to the next ward.

“Maybe we should take the traditional route,” Musa suggested when the doctor had gone.

Sam frowned. “But how? Home is miles and miles away.”

“Where there is a will there’s a way,” said Musa, folding his arms.

“Your sister doesn’t believe in that stuff, we really can’t go against her beliefs,” Sam said with his hands on his head.

Musa nodded. “I know, I …”

Gugu started shaking and coughing.

“Musa, call the doctor!” Sam shouted.

Musa rushed out of the ward, stumbling at the door and bumping his head, but that did not stop him.

Sam took hold of Gugu’s hand, staring at her in disbelief as she opened her eyes.

“Hey, I had a terrible dream,” she broke the silence.