Page 52 of The Wish

Kelly sits back in her chair, controlling her breathing, calming herself. Softly she looks Alex in the eyes.

‘It only takes a moment to die, Alex. The rest of the time we’re living. Do you hear me? Do you understand me? We are living. Jesse is still living. Right now. You have to get that.’

The words sink in slowly. Something shifts in his face. She sees it.

‘I should’ve told you sooner,’ she adds. ‘Most of my kids – they get better. They go through hell, but they survive. The few who don’t? I have to be strong for them.’

‘You called them your kids,’ Alex says.

‘You know what I mean,’ Kelly replies softly.

He leans forwards, their faces close now. ‘How can you do this job?’

Kelly closes the distance between them. He sees the freckles on her nose.

‘Because I believe in it. Because these kids – they give more than I ever could. Jesse, her parents, Sam . . . they’re the bravest people you’ll ever meet. And now you’ve met them. So, you must agree with me too.’

Alex sits back, avoiding her gaze. ‘How long does she have?’

‘Not long.’

‘There’s really nothing else? No surgery, no drugs?’

‘She’s had every treatment. The transplant failed. The chemo failed.’

‘What happened with the transplant?’

‘It didn’t work.’

‘I get that. But you’re saying there isn’t a match for her – anywhere?’

‘There isn’t. She’s been on the international bone marrow register for two years. No match. As you know, Jesse’s blood group is rare – a combination of her parents’ antibodies.’

‘What is it?’

‘AB positive.’

He nods. ‘So, the donor needs to be the same, or one of the universal groups?’

‘Exactly.’

‘What’s involved in getting tested?’

‘A cheek swab. And a blood test.’

‘What are they looking for?’

‘It’s called HLA or tissue typing.’

He looks at Kelly for a long moment, her words scramble in his brain – chemo, HLA, marrow, AB – reorganise and register. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out some cash, and sets it on the table.

‘I’ve got an idea. I have to call in a few favours, but I think there’s something I can do.’

Kelly looks like she’s about to say something, but he quickly puts in, ‘Just trust me, OK? I don’t want to make any promises, and I’ll need to check with Mandy first, but leave it with me. I’ll see you later.’

‘OK, see you then,’ Kelly says. She looks shocked by his swift exit.

Alex hurries away. He will explain everything to Kelly later – but there’s no time right now. Right now, he has a lot to do and not much time to do it in.