The time for labour had come. But I didn’t follow her into the delivery room. I didn’t want to risk putting her in danger.

Eve had a fragile physique since she was young. Suffering from gluten intolerance and anemia her whole life, her immune system had been compromised and weakened for years prior to discovering the symptoms. The doctor also wouldn’t let me in. Not with her precarious condition.

I waited outside. I tried sitting down, interlaced my fingers like I was praying. But I couldn’t stay still. It was cold as winter but I was burning inside. I paced around anxiously. Praying that Eve would be alright. I reassured myself that things would turn out fine. I prayed and prayed and prayed...

2.5 hours passed. I gazed at the time on my phone: “2030”. With every passing minute, I was more and more worried. The accumulated sweat on my forehead could form a river. I prayed for God to watch over Eve. Then a doctor and several nurses with blue surgical clothing rushed to the scene with medical equipment completely foreign to me.

“Doctor, what’s happening? Is she okay?!”

I wanted to barge into the room but the nurse stopped me.

“Sir, please stay back. We need to attend to your wife immediately.”

And they vanished into the delivery room.

I was terrified.

“Please God! Please keep Eve safe! I will do anything! Please! Please!”

My entire body was trembling.

10mins later, the same doctor and nurses bolted out of the room with a tiny baby attached with tubes all over his body in an enclosed casing.

Before questions could leave my mouth, the nurse answered them.

“Sir, we have to send your newborn to the NICU right now. We have no time to waste. I’ll explain to you along the way.”

I quickly followed them and learnt that both Levi and Eve were in dangerous situations. Levi’s lungs was damaged during childbirth. And Eve was grappling with low oxygen levels due to excessive blood loss. Her anemia only adds to the worrying circumstances. Both of them were fighting for their every breath.

After seeing Levi to the NICU, I entrusted him to the doctor and ran back to the delivery room like a madman.

But the harbinger of death was still at sight. And he was not going to leave until he’s reaped his harvest.