Page 23 of The Wish

T urning off his computer, Alex swings a bag onto his shoulder and leans over the cubicle.

He’s excited this morning and filled with determination.

Time is running out and he’s not going to let Jesse down – too many adults did that to him when he was her age.

He’s going to show them what he can do, all of them, Kelly and that father in particular.

He’s also started to feel really excited about the wish.

He doesn’t want to curse it but this could be groundbreaking stuff.

If he can pull it off, then he may have created something that can be used the world over by people, young and old, wanting to leave behind an immersive, interactive experience for their loved ones.

His inward smile disappears as the memory of the only photo he has of his mother, with a seven-year-old Alex sitting on her knee while she reads him a story, threatens to overwhelm him.

What would he give to have the very thing he is creating for Jesse?

He pulls himself together as he realises Steve is looking at him over the top of the cubicle.

‘Now that I’ve got your attention,’ Steve says to him, ‘I took a phone call yesterday that was meant for Ian. It was from a kid called Ryan. I take it you know him because he knows you.’

‘Ryan, yeah, he’s one of the kids on the ward with Jesse. What did he want?’

‘He’s a smart kid. He rang here looking for your boss. Thank God Ian was out so I told him that was me. He wanted me to tell you to pull your head out of your ass and get on with making Jesse’s wish.’

Alex laughs in appreciation. ‘Shit, Steve, these kids, barely teenagers, are smarter than you and I put together. They see us adults being hopeless and they’re not afraid to call us out. I’m so impressed. I’ll tell him I got your message: you slapped me around and I’m back in the game.’

‘Does that mean I get to slap you around?’

‘No. It means, I’m on it. This afternoon still OK for you?’

‘Yes, I’ll meet you in the car park and you can take us to the part of the beach where Jesse and her family hang out, below where they live.’

‘Would you bring a drone with you, and we’ll get some aerial shots as well?’

‘Sure, no problem.’

Walking past his colleagues, they all call out various forms of: ‘See you. Good luck, Alex, you’ve got this.’

For once, Alex waves and smiles back.

They’re just nearing the exit when Ian appears. ‘Alex, wait up,’ he calls out.

With obvious disinterest in any conversation with Ian, Alex stops walking, forcing Ian to come to him.

‘Heading out?’ Ian asks.

‘Just doing what you told me to do.’

‘So, how’s it going?’

‘Do you want to hear anything other than spectacular?’

‘Come on, Alex, we’re on the same team here.’

‘Yeah, right, sure we are. OK, Ian, anyway, got to go. Oh, by the way Steve’s coming out with me again this afternoon.’

This said as a statement, not a request.

‘Back up a minute. This was something given to you, it’s bad enough you’re not here doing your job, but I can’t let you have Steve or anyone else, we’re behind in the work we have to do for real, paying clients.’

‘Well, you said that Frank wants me to do what I need to do to make Jesse’s wish, and that includes using Steve’s expertise or I’ll never finish it in time . . . if you get what I’m saying.’

Ian’s expression changes and Alex can feel him trying to work out how to back down without losing face.

‘You think you can run this show, don’t you? Just hurry the hell up and finish the job. I’m meeting with a TV network later this week. Publicity, Alex, which means sales and a nice big bonus for us all.’

Disgusted, Alex walks away, shaking his head. Behind him, he hears Ian calling out, ‘Back to work, the lot of you.’

The sooner he can get out of here, the better.

Walking through 6 East, Alex slips a camera from the bag over his shoulder. Jesse and Amy are sitting together on Amy’s bed. Raising the camera he takes a photo. The girls look up at him, smiling.

‘Hey, you didn’t get my good side!’ Amy squeals, while immediately striking a pose.

Alex snaps another photo.

‘What about video?’ Jesse asks Alex.

‘That too, one at time, Jesse, you have to be patient,’ Alex says, smiling.

‘I am patient, I am a patient,’ Jesse says, laughing. ‘You know what I mean.’

Amy strikes another pose, and Alex obliges with another click of his camera, just as Sandy enters the room.

‘What’s going on?’ Sandy asks, looking from Jesse to Amy to Alex.

‘Alex needs to take some photos, is that all right?’ Jesse asks.

‘Sure, just make sure you get permission from everybody you photograph, Alex, and that means permission from parents too.’

‘Yeah, I know. I have releases in my bag for everyone to sign. If they don’t, then I won’t use their images.’

‘I take it this is for your wish, Jesse?’

‘Yes, it is, and Sandy, you’re in it. Can we have your photo, pleeease?’

‘Oh, all right then.’ Sandy sheepishly shrugs her shoulders, turning to Alex who takes a photo. She’s much more self-conscious in front of the camera than the two teenagers.

‘Again,’ he says.

Sandy relaxes into laughter as Alex gets his shot.

‘I’ll get your details and put them in a release for you to sign,’ he tells her.

‘Well,’ Sandy says with a twinkle in her eye, ‘if you two ladies are going to be in a photoshoot, what do you say to a little bit of makeup? I know you have some, Amy, would you like me to send in someone to help you with it?’

‘And our hair, we’ll have to get our hair done,’ Jesse says, teasing.

Even Alex laughs as she pulls at the tufts of spiky hair on her head.

Sandy turns to Alex. ‘Will you excuse us for a few minutes? Kelly’s just outside, maybe you’d like to shoot her.’

The girls laugh, miming firing pistols at each other. Realising the double meaning of what she’s said, Sandy rolls her eyes.

‘Film, photograph . . . you know what I mean.’

With Jesse and Amy giggling hysterically at Sandy’s remark, Alex backs out of the room, unable to conceal his amusement. Glancing up, he sees Amy reaching into her bedside drawer and bringing out a mirror and a lipstick and other things unrecognisable to him.

Alex finds Kelly sitting behind the nurses’ station, writing in a file. Leaning over, he takes a close-up photo of her.

‘Sandy says I have to get your permission to photograph you.’

‘And if I say no?’

‘Then Jesse doesn’t get her wish.’

She gives him a look. ‘We can’t have that, now, can we?’

Alex focuses the lens, taking a few more photos. ‘Just need a head shot or two.’

Kelly smiles, grimaces, turns away laughing. When she sees Alex has stopped shooting, and placed the camera on the desk, she turns serious.

‘Do you really think you can do this?’

‘I don’t know, but I’m going to try.’

Alex sees Kelly look beyond him and follows her gaze.

Sandy is heading towards them with Jesse and Amy, IVs removed, now changed into trendy clothes, glossy lips, subtle eye shadow, Jesse batting her eyelids, Amy putting a floppy hat on and off, both girls laughing.

Alex gasps. All he can think is they should be on a beach, or at a shopping centre, wherever girls their age hang out.

Their eyes meet. Both look away again quickly, feeling their cheeks burn.

He turns to Kelly. ‘They shouldn’t be here.’

Kelly whispers back, ‘I know. My only advice is just do your job, don’t think about it, it’s the only way to get through.’

‘That’s easier said than done.’

Picking up the camera, Alex forces a smile at the girls. ‘With or without hat, Amy?’

‘Both, of course!’

‘I hate to interrupt, but this isn’t the most appropriate place for a photoshoot,’ Sandy says.

‘Oh, of course, I’m sorry, perhaps we could go . . .’

‘. . . to the garden, dream team HQ,’ Jesse finishes his sentence.

‘That would be much better, perhaps Kelly should go with you?’ Sandy suggests. ‘And don’t forget the releases, Alex, you can leave Jesse and Amy’s with me, I’ll have their . . .’ She pauses looking at Jesse. ‘Their mothers sign them.’

‘Let’s go,’ Amy says impatiently, pulling Jesse along and forcing Alex and Kelly to scurry after them.

As they walk to the garden, Alex asks Kelly if there is a room in the hospital he could borrow as he needs some video footage of Jesse and her friends and family alongside the stills.

He would need to hang a green screen, which he can bring in.

She tells him the ward has a conference room which only gets used occasionally – she’s sure Sandy will let him use it.

It is private and reasonably soundproof.

‘What about Dean? Can this work without him?’ Kelly asks.

‘I want to do what I can and then, with help from Mandy, you, whoever, maybe we can bring Dean in later. One step at a time, Kelly.’

Kelly smiles and nods. He’s right. And she’s pulled along by the girls’ excitement, and Alex’s determination.

Today, the garden is filled more with birds than people. Alex tells the girls to pick where they want their photos taken while he sets up a tripod. He wants to control some of the shots with a steady hand – close-ups, candid moments.

As he adjusts the tripod, Jesse picks up the camera, puzzled. It’s not like her dad’s, where you look through a viewfinder from behind. The viewing screen is on top. She peers down into it, trying to work out how to frame a shot.

Alex kneels beside her, showing her how to use it. Just as he’s demonstrating, Ryan and Luke appear with a nurse.

‘Excuse me, Jesse,’ the nurse says. ‘Ryan and Luke asked where you were. Sandy said you were down here having your photo taken. They want to know if they can join. It’s up to you. I can take them back.’

Ryan and Luke have already made themselves part of the action. Ryan dives into the bushes with Amy, both of them yelling, ‘Boo!’

‘I’ve got a camera. I love taking photos. Can I help?’ Luke asks Alex.

Jesse smiles, watching the chaos. ‘They’re fine. I want their photos. We’ll bring them back with us, won’t we, boys?’

‘I’ll make sure they behave,’ Kelly tells the nurse.