I Would Die For You

Last Wish Foundation employee Esther Graham had just hung up the phone with another parent. Her son, Michael Dilkey, age 10, dying of Hoberman's Syndrome, had just finished his virtual-reality battle against the Black Dragon. Though he'd lost, it had been a win all around, because his dying wish to fight a dragon alongside heroes of reknown had somehow been granted. She called the people at Interactive Arts who'd helped her set up the special game. "Thank you so much, Ray, you've made a dying child very happy," she said. She always liked this part of the job.

Impossible wishes granted were Esther's daily work. So she was not surprised when she received an email asking her to supervisor Steve Parker's office for emergency consultation. "We've got a really difficult one, Esther. Drop by soon as you can."

She walked the hallway and a half distance to Steve's office. "Hey, Steve," she said, peeking her head around the corner of his door. He was on the phone, but he motioned her to take a seat. "So, what's the damage? Kid wants a trip to the moon? Wants to make peace in the Middle East?"

"Thanks, and goodbye," Steve said to the phone, hung up and turned to Esther. He motioned to the door, and she got up and closed it tightly, wondering why as she returned to her chair. "No, I wish. This one's easy... but I don't know that we can do it. A fifteen-year-old in Australia -- has from two weeks to a month left -- apparently he wasn't going to tell anyone, but the nurse he confided in told the hospital pediatric psych, who passed it on. He wants, well," Steve lowered his voice, "to get laid. And for his parents not to know."

Esther struggled to keep from laughing. "That sounds like the simplest thing in the world, Steve."

"That's what they seemed to think, the nurse and the ped-psych. But it isn't. First of all, it's illegal. Think of the scandal, and we're dependent completely on charitable contributions, from churches and people who would think very ill of the corruption of a minor... " Esther shook her head, but Steve went on. "Which is legally what it would be if we got a woman to sleep with him -- and it'd be worse if we got a kid. Encouraging child prostitiution? Who knows what they would try to pin on us. There's no way we could be completely sure of keeping it quiet."

Esther nodded, the complexities unfolding themselves before her. "You're right, of course. But the publicity of turning down this kid's dying request would be just as bad. To think we can grant any wish but we won't grant this one, simple as it is? We'd lose donors like crazy."

"So you see why we need you on this one. It's a Catch-22, we lose if we do, we lose if we don't. We have to find some way to grant the wish that won't make us look bad, and won't break any Australian laws, and preferably not even most people's morals. Everyone says Esther can do the impossible. I'm hoping everyone's right." Steve gave Esther a wry smile.

"I'll give it my best shot, like I always do," she told him.

Back in her office, Esther sat down, folded her hands in front of her and thought hard. There was something in what she'd been told, she thought -- something important. A smile spread over her face as she realized what it was. The kid had been afraid to reveal this wish. They'd only found out second and third-hand. That meant it was quite possible... she got to work calling contacts.

On her third try, she found what she'd been looking for. Yes, this was not the only dying teenager who'd had a wish like this. It was in fact pretty common, according to the adolescent psychologists she was consulting. Just that most of them did not even consider asking the Last Wish Foundation for such things, and Esther could only be grateful for that restraint. And grateful too that one of them had a patient exactly like what Esther had been hoping for: a fifteen-year-old girl who was dying of leukemia, who'd expressed over and over how much she wanted to have one real lover before she died.

Now she got to work, making the fantasy real. This was her forte. She enjoyed every moment of it, being the good fairy godmother who granted wishes...

She got pictures of the teenagers, touched them up just a little, composed email to accompany them. 

Dear Jessica,

My name is Tyler, and I'm in the hospital in Brisbane.  There isn't much to
do here, but the doctors try to keep us busy.  I got put on a list to go to
this hospice class in Sydney next week.  They gave me pictures of all the
other people who'd be there, but yours was the one I kept looking at.  I
don't get to meet many girls, being stuck in bed for the last three years or
so, but there was this look on your face... I thought you'd understand.  How
it feels to want something.. someone... so much and know I'll never have
her.  Anyway.  Maybe we'll get to meet while we're there.  I hope so.

Tyler



Dear Tyler,

Hi! I'm Jessica.  I don't know if they'll let you have this letter, but I
hope so.   I hope I don't sound desperate.  Even though I kind of am.  I'm
going to die soon.  I know you know what that feels like.  The worst part of
it is, I've never been with a man, I can't believe I'm saying this but it's
worse to die a virgin than just to die, you know?  I was thinking if we
could try to... you and I... sneak out somewhere... but it'll never happen.
They'll never let us.  But I can wish.  Don't you?

Love, Jessica

Esther smiled to herself as she read over her compositions. That should do the trick, she thought. She gave the letters and pictures to the people who'd been the teenagers' confidants, along with instructions. They'd ask for replies to the letters, and then she'd check over the replies, sending them on with perhaps small edits if necessary. She crossed her fingers and hoped it worked.

The last arrangements were for both teens to be sent to a small workshop at a hospice in Sydney. Then talking to the staff at the hospice, to make sure they could arrange for privacy for the couple, at least long enough to allow their wish its fulfillment. Esther hummed to herself under her breath once she was done. "The impossible we do instantly," she said to herself, alone in her office, task complete. "The immoral just takes a little bit longer."