Page 85 of The Wish
‘Close your eyes, take my hand and when I say take a step, do so.’
‘Stop teasing,’ Kelly says.
‘Then do as you’re told.’
Holding her hand out for Alex, Kelly closes her eyes.
‘Take a step,’ he instructs gently.
Kelly takes a deep breath then steps forward.
‘Open your eyes,’ he tells her.
Nothing could have prepared Kelly for what she sees. Alex hears the gasp: her breath is taken away. Slowly she scans the scene in front of her. The vast screen is showing videos of Jesse and her family playing in a park, filmed by a grandparent, Mandy told Alex. Turning her head, she sees ten pairs of eyes all smiling back at her. Several people have elaborate headphones hanging around their necks. She looks at the cameras sliding across the room on wire cables above her, stretching from one side of the room to the other, the microphones moving up and down, side to side. To the left she sees a large console area, similar to what Alex has in his home, only this one is at least twice the size, the monitors much bigger. Steve is standing behind the console and appears to be controlling the moving cameras and microphones with a series of joysticks. In front of him, off to the side, she sees a large rotunda, a replica of the one in the video before her. Steve toggles a stick and the virtual rotunda glides silently into the front of the screen. It becomes all too much for Kelly as she recognises other props, play equipment, a table holding the picnic gear which will be placed in the rotunda. She puts her hand out to Alex, and he steadies her.
‘Step towards the screen and you will experience what Jesse and the others will tomorrow.’
Hand in hand, Alex and Kelly walk towards the screen and Kelly gasps as she finds herself standing in the park, surrounded by trees, manicured lawns, a sparkling sky. A silent tear tracks down her cheek.
Alex gives her a few minutes, looking around at his colleagues, many of whom are fighting back tears, overcome by Kelly’s reaction.
‘Come on, say hello again to the magic makers,’ he whispers.
Sarah runs into her arms, headphones and cables jangling around them. Charlie and Phil join in the hug. Dragging heraway, Alex introduces Kelly to several other crew members who will be here tomorrow. He explains their roles. She nods in understanding even when she doesn’t. It doesn’t matter, she knows she will witness Alex make the impossible possible.
That evening Steve, Phil, Charlie, Sarah and Kelly come over to Alex and Max’s house. Pizza and beers are shared as the new friends relive the night they spent creating Jesse’s wish. Kelly tells Phil, Charlie and Sarah that Jesse wants to meet them, and they should be prepared to be hugged endlessly. At a reasonable hour, Steve suggests it is time for them to leave, they all have a big day ahead of them. As Alex walks them to the door, he wonders if he should ask Kelly to stay. She joins the others hugging Alex goodbye but adds a quick kiss on his lips. Max barks them his goodbye.
CHAPTER 35
It’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?’
