Page 29 of The Wish
Hearing the word wish Dean struggles to control himself, clenching his fists, fighting internally.
‘I just said, we don’t need your help.’
‘I don’t mean to upset you, you are Jesse’s father, but I’ve been asked by Inspire a Wish—’
‘Don’t mention that name, you hear me?’ Dean has his finger in Alex’s face. They are almost the same height, but Alex gets the sense of the older man looming over him. ‘If my daughter wants something, anything, I’ll be the one to get it for her, not some stranger.’
‘Please, Mr Morgan, I’m not trying to take anything away from you and your daughter, quite the opposite, I’m wanting to help her give something to you and your family. A wish, a gift that I admit I didn’t want any part of initially, but now, now that I’ve got to know Jesse and believe in what she wants for you, I want to do this.’
‘Well, you don’t get to do “this” for her, I told you: her family will get whatever Jesse wants, whatever she needs. Get outta here, pal, and don’t come back.’
Alex holds his anger in check; all he can do now is protect himself as he says the words he doesn’t truly feel. ‘OK, settle down. I’ll go and tell Jesse you don’t want me helping her, and, what the hell, I was just sent to do a job; if you say I’m not wanted . . .’
As Alex moves towards Jesse’s room, Dean cuts him off. ‘I’ll be the one to tell her,’ Dean says putting a hand up to stop Alex advancing.
‘Look, the project’s going really well, but we need to keep going. I’ve been told there’s not much time to do this for Jesse,’ Alex is almost pleading.
Dean gets in his face, furious now, shouting. ‘Who the hell do you think you are, saying that to me?’
‘OK. I’m out of here.’ Alex realises there’s no reasoning with him, and turns to leave.
It’s only now that he sees Mandy and Sam, frozen, standing outside Jesse’s room and looking at them both in horror. With a giant wave of shame, Alex realises that everyone on the ward – and, worst of all, Jesse and her family – have overheard this altercation. The two men glance at each other, and Alex wonders if Dean is just as mortified as he is.
Sam struggles out of his mum’s grasp and runs towards the two men. ‘Stop it. Stop it, leave him alone, Dad!’
‘Sammy, it’s OK, I know what I’m doing—’
‘We can’t help her, Dad.Hecan.’
Dean kneels and attempts to pull Sam into an embrace. ‘Jesse doesn’t need him, she’s got us.’
Sam pulls free from his father and runs towards Jesse’s room. Staff, patients and visitors look on with concern. Dean goes after Sam, Mandy hurries after them both. Alex hesitates before slowly following them. As he passes the nurses’ station Sandy mouths a ‘sorry’ as she picks up the phone, dialling.
Alex pauses at the entrance to Jesse’s room. Her parents watch on as Amy comes over to him and gently takes one of his arms. Together they look into the room. Sam is cuddled up with Jesse, her mother sitting on her bed, stroking Sam’s hair. Dean stands apart looking out the window.
‘Show me, come on,’ Jesse says tenderly to Sam.
From inside his jacket, Sam produces several drawings which Alex and Amy struggle to see from their position. As Jesse looks at each one, she places them on the bed.
‘You did all these today?’
‘Yep,’ Sam says.
‘They’re great, Sammy, really great. What else did you do today?’
Sam looks over at his father.
‘It’s all right, Sam, we both know Dad loves us.’ She looks over at her father and sees him flinch. ‘He just has trouble sometimes knowing what’s right for us.’ She looks down at Sam. ‘Don’t you agree?’
Sam shrugs a maybe. Jesse looks up and sees Alex and Amy standing in the doorway.
‘I’ll sort things out with Dad later and don’t worry, Alex will still help me with my wish.’ She looks directly at Alex.
‘But I heard Dad tell him to go away,’ Sam says.
‘I probably shouldn’t have asked him to come back tonight. This is our time, family time, right?’
‘But you need him,’ Sam tells her.
