Hope in a Basket- season 1 episode one

Episode one: He's back...

The joy of a mother filled, Angie’s heart as she was handed her new born baby. “What’re you going to name him?” the nurse asked, Angie looked and smiled. “Joshua.” “Lovely name. You have a very beautiful baby Ma’am.”, “Thank you”, Angie replied her with all the joy and pride in the world. The birth had been dreadful. Three hours of skull splitting labour and then the fear of the baby having his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck... Afterwards, he didn’t cry or make a single move and Angie had wanted to scream at them all. Why hadn’t her baby cry or move?! She tried to get up and reach for him as he was taken to the next room. Then she had to push the placenta out too. Her heart had been beating too fast, added to that a very poor diet and no strength she passed out with even knowing it.

After several hours of sleep and a good meal from the hospital, she asked to see her baby. “Look at his hands. They’re so tiny! Why is he so bald?! Are they supposed to look like that? His feet are cute. His eyes are so big.” She just kept musing over every detail about him while the nurse filled the form. She held Joshua in her hands like glass, afraid of hurting him even with a little hug. At 2.7 kg he was full term and healthy. He was a complete and happy baby. “What about his father?” The smile on Angie’s face disappeared. The question took her back to a place she didn’t and never wished to go back to. “He’s dead.”, “I’m sorry to hear that.” there was a moment of silence. “Is there anyone coming for you at all?”, “No, no one. But that’s ok. We can handle ourselves. Right Joshua?” she looked down at her bundle of joy, where he was suckling.

A whispering noise woke Angie up in the middle of the night. She could see two shadows on the wall opposite the double doors to her ward room. She tiptoed to the door to see who it was. She couldn’t see anyone, except one of the nurses that had been with her when she was giving birth. She saw her take a brown envelope from a man, whose face Angie couldn’t see, then they shook hands and the nurse handed him a big picnic basket. The whole exchange felt rather strange to be taking place in a hospital. Angie was leaning too much on the white door, it suddenly bolted open and she fell flat on her face. The man quickly walked out of view with his basket and left the nurse scowling at Angie furiously. “Well, isn’t this embarrassing...” Angie got to her feet and dusted herself. “What are you doing up so late, ma’am?” There was a scent in the air and something about it felt familiar. “I wanted to go and see Joshua.” “It’s late and you’ll wake the other babies.”, “I promise I won’t. I just want to see him.” She was one of the older nurses - her face showed it as much as she tried to cover it with mascara and brown blush. The scent came off the nurse as she stepped closer to Angie, “Ma’am. Back to bed now.” Angie was defeated and hung her head as she walked back to her bed. She lay down and was asleep in a few minutes, which she concluded was tiredness.

“Ma’am? Miss Angie...” Griselda, Angie s favourite nurse for the last two days, was waking her now. “Oh, hey Griselda...where’s Joshua? "Oh, hi Doctor”. There was silence and Griselda wouldn’t meet her eyes. “What’s wrong?”, “Ma’am we regret to inform you that your baby took ill during the course of the night and unfortunately passed on.” Griselda took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m so sorry, Miss Angie...” The feel of her hand felt tight and warm like Joshua’s when she put her finger in his little palm. “You must be joking. I was with him the whole day yesterday. He was fine! There was absolutely nothing wrong with him! Where is my baby?!” She raised her voice, hot tears kept flowing onto her cheeks. “Get me the sedater now.” Griselda dashed out and into the room with a small silver tray in her hands now while the doctor tried to hold her down. A second nurse came in and helped in holding her down while Griselda prepared the injection. “Do it now.” Griselda’s eyes were filled with tears as she injected Angie. The nurse on her right side still had small traces of the scent around her. “Hold still child, this is for your own good.” Those exact words knocked her memory hard and she knew exactly who the man exchanging the envelope and the basket with her had been. “Anton!” She screamed as the sedative took its effect.