Page 47 of The Wish

One week later

A lex runs from the lifts waving his arms at the doors in front of him for them to open. He’s in a hurry. Dodging patients, staff and visitors he signals to the nurse standing behind the nurses’ station he’s heading her way. ‘Is Sandy here?’ he asks, looking around.

‘She’s in her office; do you want me to tell her you’re here?’

‘Yes, please, ask her to come to Jesse’s room, I’ll be in there.’

‘Her family are all with her,’ the nurse calls out as Alex hurries on.

‘Jesse,’ he calls out, bursting into her room. An empty room. Shocked, Alex walks slowly towards her bed, quickly glances at the noticeboard, breathes a sigh of relief seeing the posters, photos, drawings all where they were when he was here earlier in the day.

Turning to leave the room he hears Sam laughing and sees the door open onto the balcony. Standing in the doorway he watches the family. Jesse in a wheelchair, her parents either side of her, Sam pacing.

‘Can we go soon, Mum? Jesse, you don’t mind if we don’t stay long?’ Sam asks.

Before Jesse can respond, Mandy kneels and takes Sam’s hands in hers. ‘Honey, we will go when it’s time. Right now this is where we are meant to be.’

‘But Bea, Mum, what about Bea?’

‘Bea is just fine. Judith is with her, spoiling her no doubt and letting her sit on the sofa.’

‘So where did you get the name Bea from again, Sammy?’ Dean asks.

‘It’s short for Beatrice, Dad.’

‘OK, I get that, and?’

‘The day before we went to Alex’s studio, I was reading a book and the girl in it was called Beatrice. She helped people. Alex helps people and I couldn’t name her after him.’

‘Excuse me,’ Alex says, gently tapping on the glass door.

The family turn around as Alex steps towards them, Sam running and wrapping his arms around his waist.

‘I didn’t know you were coming back today,’ Jesse says, wriggling in her wheelchair to face him.

‘Hi, Mandy, Dean, I’m sorry for interrupting your family time,’ Alex says, shaking Dean’s hand, hugging Mandy, looking into the star-filled night sky.

‘We came out here to watch the sunset and it’s such a beautiful night, we thought we’d stay out. It’s so peaceful out here,’ Mandy tells him.

‘Alex, hello, is everything all right?’ Sandy says, bursting out onto the balcony. ‘I’m sorry I took so long; I was on a call and just got your message to come here.’

‘Can you leave the ward for a little while?’ Alex asks her.

‘Yes, if I must. My shift has ended. I’m just finishing up paperwork, I hate leaving it for another day.’

‘What’s going on?’ Jesse yells at her friend.

‘I want you all to come with me, just downstairs.’

‘What for?’ Jesse beats everyone asking.

‘It’s a surprise, do you trust me? Will you all come with me. Do you think you can stay away from Bea a little longer, Sam?’

‘Where are we going, where are we going?’ Sam is jumping up and down.

‘Will you come with me?’ Alex asks, looking at each of them.

‘I’m game,’ Mandy says, taking a step forward.

‘Right, let’s go,’ Dean adds.

Alex leads the way back into the room ushering everyone out. Sandy walks beside him whispering, ‘Is everything OK?’

‘Better than OK, Sandy. Follow me.’

Alex leads his troop through the ward to the lifts. When they are all inside, he pushes the button for the ground floor. No one says a word.

When they reach the ground floor Alex leads them through the main reception and down a corridor, where he stops outside a set of double doors and gently knocks. Voices and scuffling are heard behind the door before Kelly steps out to join them.

‘What’s going on, Alex? Kelly?’ Dean asks.

Alex kneels in front of Jesse. ‘It’s time to make your wish.’

Kelly opens the doors and Alex wheels Jesse into the room with the others following.

They are greeted with loud cheers, clapping and weeping from Amy, Ryan, Luke and their families.

Steve with his wife, Sarah with hers, Charlie and Phil, Frank and Ian continue clapping and cheering as Alex wheels Jesse to the front of the room, in the style of a theatre with raised seating.

Jesse kicks the foot plates on the wheelchair away and triumphantly stands, laughing and smiling at her friends.

Mandy, Dean and Sam join her, soaking up the reception.

Finally, Dean lowers his arms several times, indicating the others to sit.

As the room goes quiet, Dean turns to Alex who is standing off to the side. ‘Well, Alex, care to tell us what we’re doing here?’

Kelly gives Alex a nudge and he steps forward.

‘Ah, thank you all for being here. Jesse, I hope you don’t mind but Kelly invited everyone to be with you and your family while you watch your wish. Are you OK with that?’

Jesse wraps her arms around Alex’s neck. ‘Of course I am, oh Alex, is this for real?’

‘Yes, all you have to do is sit down with your family and watch. Though before you do, some of Kelly’s colleagues are handing out popcorn to anyone who wants it, there will be drinks and nibbles after in the foyer.’

Kelly shows Jesse and her family where to sit. ‘Will you sit with us?’ Mandy asks Alex.

‘Thanks, Kelly and I will watch from the back, if it’s all right with you?’

Mandy glances at Kelly, attempting to control a giggle. ‘Of course it is, you guys go up the back.’

Charlie dims the lights. The sound of Taylor Swift singing ‘You Belong with Me’ fills the room as a photo montage of Jesse with her family appears on the large screen.

Before long everyone finds themselves soaring with Jesse in the hot air balloon, laughing and running on a beach.

The music changes, as Mandy’s voice is heard reading one of her poems over a video of Jesse in her room with Amy, out on the balcony looking at the night sky.

Sam’s drawings come to life, the childish illustration of a dog in so many of his sketches is replaced with Bea, playing with Sam, the family looking on.

To the sound of cheers, tears and sobs, whooping and clapping. An hour disappears all too quickly.

Slowly Charlie raises the lights. Alex and Kelly sit holding their breath, waiting for the reaction to die down.

Moments drag on before Jesse stands and turns around to face her friends.

Her smile tells them how she is feeling, and they jump to their feet, applauding again.

Amy runs to Jesse followed by Ryan and Luke and the four teenagers dance together.

Mandy and Dean step back, brushing away tears, revelling in seeing their daughter happy with her friends.

Alex puts his arms around Kelly, pulling her into him as they watch the scene playing out in front of them. All the adults are talking excitedly, the teenagers gabbling incoherently.

‘Excuse me, can I have your attention for a moment?’ Frank says standing at the back of the room. Everyone goes quiet and turns to Frank. Alex stands and looks at his boss, perplexed.

‘I know we only met briefly at the studio, I’m Frank Wallace, owner of TriOptics and, now, Alex’s business partner. I just want to say thank you to Jesse.’

Frank pauses, choking back tears, with his voice breaking.

‘You are the bravest person I have ever met. You inspire me to be a better person. And Alex, I knew you could do it. I wasn’t quite sure what it was you were doing, but my goodness, this is incredible.

So, Jesse, thanks to you, TriOptics will be making available a similar wish to any child or teenager going through something comparable.

I’ll make sure everyone here and at Inspire a Wish knows that. ’

Kelly looks at Alex wondering if he wants to say something. She sees how ill at ease he feels, how uncomfortable he is in this environment.

‘We have drinks and nibbles in the foyer, why don’t we all go out and we can keep on chatting there?’

Slowly everyone moves out of the room into the foyer where drinks and plates of food wait. Jesse sees Frank go to Alex and the men shake hands. She excuses herself from Amy and her parents and approaches the men.

‘Oh, Mr Wallace . . .’

‘Please, call me Frank.’

‘OK, Frank it is. Can I have a hug?’ Jesse asks.

Before he can answer she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him on the cheek.

‘There’s one more thing I wanted to say to you. I’m feeling strong enough to speak to reporters if you want to arrange an interview, I know that’s why you agreed for Alex to meet me.’

Frank pulls away, shaken. ‘No, no, that will not happen, I would never subject you to that, I’m so sorry that I even considered it. Not happening.’

‘Thank you. I didn’t really want to do it, but I would have for you, for Alex.’

Alex looks down at his friend, astonished yet again by her maturity and generosity.

He puts his arm loosely around her shoulders.

‘Well, Jesse. I guess it’s a wrap.’