Page 43 of The Wish

I t’s the day they have been waiting for.

Alex arrives at the studio to find Steve, Sarah, Charlie, Phil and the full studio staff already there.

They walk through the stage, everyone telling Alex they are good to go, everything is ready.

He feels his phone ringing in his pocket and ignores it.

Today is a special day; he wants nothing to interfere with his plans.

A few minutes later the phone rings again. He doesn’t recognise the number, but something tells him to answer it. Excusing himself he walks away from the others.

‘Hello.’

‘Alex, thank goodness you answered. It’s Sandy.’

‘Sandy, what’s wrong, Jesse . . .’

‘No, no, it’s not about Jesse, it’s you.’

‘What about me?’

‘A senior technician in pathology called me a short while ago. He was going over bone marrow tests and saw yours. He’s asked if I could find you and see if you would be prepared to take the next test, a biopsy. He thinks there may be enough markers to do the biopsy.’

‘But I don’t understand. I was told I wasn’t a match.’

‘Not a perfect match, very few donors are, but the technician feels it’s worth going to the next step and doing a biopsy so that they can determine for sure if the markers are there. What do you think?’

‘What do I think? Sandy, make this happen, of course I’ll do whatever you say, just make it happen.’

‘I know you’re busy, but could you be here at six o’clock tonight?’

‘That soon?’

‘The sooner the better, Alex.’

‘OK, yeah, that should be fine, we should wrap up here by mid-afternoon at the latest, I’ll be there at six. What if someone sees me, what do I say?’

‘Don’t worry, you’ll be on the day ward, ground floor, away from everywhere else. Can I tell them you’ll be here?’

‘Six o’clock. I’ll be there. Thank you, Sandy, I didn’t think this day could get any better.’

Ending the call Alex goes to the bathroom. He needs to get his emotions under control, he needs to splash water on the tears that threaten.

Kelly is the first to arrive at the studio an hour before Alex had told her to be there. She admits she has barely slept as she shows Alex the small posy of flowers she has picked up. One of the crew take them from her, promising to find a vase and hide them in an office where no one will go.

The curtains are closed, and Alex explains how Jesse and her family will be taken to two dressing rooms on one side of the building.

They won’t know that Amy, Ryan and Luke are also coming, along with their parents.

They will be kept as a surprise, as will the wedding dress, and one more surprise that Alex insists he won’t even share with Kelly.

He asks her to play along and do as she’s told.

It soon becomes obvious no one has listened to the times Alex gave them.

Jesse and her family arrive early too. Alex watches her closely as she gets out of the car.

It is clear she is using all her reserves of energy to make the wish she wants for her family.

Dean takes a wheelchair out of the boot of the car, but she refuses to get in.

Dean wheels it into the studio behind his family.

Sam runs ahead and is stopped by Steve as he tries to peek behind the big black curtain.

Alex has them meet the crew, one of whom takes the wheelchair from Dean and puts it to the side of the room.

Sarah, Charlie and Phil are identified as having worked on the wish and, as predicted, Jesse hugs them all long and hard.

They give a layman’s explanation of what their roles are and what is going to happen.

The Morgans understand that Alex and Steve will be co-directing what they are filming, and Jesse and Sam giggle with excitement when they are told they will be using the words ‘action’ and ‘cut’ to indicate when filming is beginning and ending. Dean asks where their scripts are.

‘Families don’t need scripts,’ Alex tells him. ‘You’re playing yourselves, remember.’

‘Can I get my money back if Sam says the wrong thing?’ Dean jokes, ruffling Sam’s hair.

‘Course you can, see me after,’ Alex replies.

‘Ooh,’ Mandy whispers to Kelly, ‘he has a sense of humour, who would have known?’

‘There’s a lot about him we don’t know,’ Kelly whispers back.

‘I hope you’re working on finding out all his secrets,’ Mandy says, giving Kelly a meaningful look.

‘Mandy, really, our relationship is strictly professional.’

‘Of course it is, how silly of me.’

Shown their dressing rooms – one for the boys and one for the girls – Sam immediately raids the chocolate bars on the sideboard along with fruit, cookies and cheese, a selection of healthy and unhealthy drinks.

He insists on seeing Jesse’s room in case she has something he doesn’t.

Kelly tells them Alex wants them dressed for a casual day in the park and leaves them to get ready.

They’ve brought along various outfits. She tells them she will be back shortly to take them behind the curtain.

She returns to find the family dressed in summer clothes for a day at the park.

Sam is hopping up and down with excitement.

He’s insisted on putting on suncream – method acting, he tells them.

He’s been doing some research. Kelly walks them to the curtain where Alex is waiting for them.

He tells them to hold hands and close their eyes.

When he says take a step, they can step forward a pace or two.

After a lot of coaxing, Sam promises to keep his eyes closed as he and Jesse stand between their parents. Finally, they’re ready. Alex and Kelly pull back the curtains.

‘Step forward,’ Alex says.

They step forward and instantly Sam screams out ‘WOW’.

In front of them, a still photo of Jesse covers the vast screen.

She looms over them. Dean is immediately drawn to the screen and walks forward, as Jesse’s beaming smile envelops him.

Dean’s eyes fill with tears. For the first time he understands the enormity of what Alex has achieved and created for his family, free of charge, without demands or drama – well, maybe a little drama.

Once more, he fights down the feelings of shame and remorse at his behaviour.

He and Mandy look at each other over the heads of their children.

They both know that their daughter has made this happen – with Alex’s help.

She’s built a legacy for them, a world they can enter when Jesse is no longer with them.

It’s astonishing, and humbling. They begin to cry, but their tears turn to joy as Jesse and Sam whoop with excitement and laughter.

They nod at each other: tacitly acknowledging that they’re allowed to enjoy this moment for what it is, revel in it, with no thought of what lies just ahead for them all.

Alex slowly explains to them what they are seeing.

Steve runs some video footage for them to see the park they know so well, they recognise the trees, roundabouts and swings.

Alex explains that by walking around the stage in front of the screen, multiple cameras will capture them from all angles, all cameras immersing them into the scenes.

The footage Steve and Alex filmed of the park, the beach, Jesse’s balloon flight, have been put into simulated software.

What they re-enact today will be captured on film which will be edited together with the existing footage to create their story.

Music has been embedded but can be adjusted, and Mandy has recorded her poems which will be used at some points, alongside shots of some of Sam’s drawings.

‘Where are the camera operators?’ Dean asks.

‘Over there,’ Alex says, pointing at Steve sitting behind the large console.

‘Everything is computer controlled; we’ve already set them to film, close up, move around, kind of like the Daleks from Doctor Who .

Steve controls them and can take over if he feels he wants a different angle or wide screen shot. ’

‘I get the picture, I think. This is incredible, Alex.’

Dean sees Sam sitting on Steve’s lap being shown the monitors he will watch and control. ‘I think you might have a new crew member.’

‘Happy to have him here anytime, never too young to learn,’ Alex tells him gruffly. He’s still a little wary of Dean.

Alex’s attention is diverted as the curtains open. They weren’t expecting anyone else.

Frank and Ian step inside the curtained area and look on. Alex walks quickly over to them, anxiety and concern written on his face. He’s primed for trouble.

‘Hi, Alex, do you mind if we watch? I promise we won’t interfere,’ Frank says.

‘Of course, come and meet everyone, then grab a couple of chairs and make yourselves comfortable. Good to see you Ian,’ Alex says.

Ian shuffles his feet. ‘You don’t mind me being here? I mean . . .’

‘You’re fine, I’m glad you came. You get to see what you told me to do, make Jesse’s wish.’

‘Thanks, Alex, I mean it. Thanks.’

The crew watch the interaction, not knowing what is being said or what will happen next.

They all breathe a sigh of relief when Frank and Ian are introduced to Jesse and her family.

Dean thanks them both profusely for their part in making Jesse’s wish.

The crew roll their eyes as they hear this conversation, register Ian nodding and taking the credit.

Over the next hour, the family are filmed having fun in the park. They sit underneath trees and listen to a poem, the rotunda on the stage replaces the one filmed, and Sam and Jesse run to it and step inside. Dean takes Mandy’s hand, and they slowly walk to join their children.

The family is sent back to their dressing rooms to change into beach clothing.

On set, they play on the beach and when Sam runs into the water a crew member to the side splashes real water onto him.

Alex calls cut so they can set up another scene on the rocks and, while they position themselves, he tells Kelly the others have arrived.