Wish 143

David, a 15-year-old patient in the cancer ward, tells the Dreamscape Charity representative that his biggest dream is to lose his virginity before he dies. The request shocks the charity worker and unsettles the hospital staff. A priest in the hospital grows concerned about the implications of such a wish and what it says about love and life.

David's bold statement creates a minor media splash that rattles the hospital. A priest urges him to consider love as a path rather than a reckless act, while David remains determined that he has no time for love. The encounter frames the moral tension at the story's core.

David meets his ex-girlfriend Amy, who says she cares for him but is dating someone else. She leaves an unread letter with him, hoping he gets better and finds a loving future. David pockets the letter without looking at its contents.

David sneaks out of the hospital and goes to the city’s red-light district to solicit a prostitute. The encounter prompts a street vendor’s remark to buy something for his mother, heightening his sense of guilt. In a moment of rage, he grabs bricks and begins throwing them at passing cars.

David is arrested after the brick-throwing spree. At the police station, the priest arrives to retrieve him and asks why he acted out. David bluntly answers that he wanted to see how low he could go.

The priest discovers Amy's unopened letter and reads it. Amy writes that she’s flattered by the idea but cannot go through with it, and she hopes he gets better and finds someone who truly loves him. The priest recognizes that the cancer is spreading and that 'getting better' may not be possible.

That night, the priest wakes David and takes him on a motorcycle to see a prostitute. He tells her gently that David doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to do, signaling care beyond judgment.

Inside the room, David nervously talks with the woman and reveals his medical tubes and scars from treatments. She shares her own scar and asks if anyone has touched him beyond doctors. He asks her to lie in bed and hold him; she comforts him as he cries.

The Dreamscape Charity representative returns and asks if there is anything David wants. He says he doesn’t need anything, and the rep shares a story about another child who chose a different experience and still found happiness. The moment reinforces the charity’s perspective and David’s shifting priorities.

David realizes he has found the love of friendship with the Priest who has been guiding him. They spend a day together clay pigeon shooting, sharing a simple, comforting form of companionship that outlives his initial wish.

The story closes on a note of quiet hope, as David’s relationship with the Priest gives him meaning and companionship to carry forward. The emphasis shifts from a desperate wish to the endurance of friendship amid illness.