Wellness Check

Tony and Miguel slid most of the way down the steep embankment and landed with a thud on the packed dirt bordering the railroad tracks. They jumped up laughing and dusted themselves off before scrambling to make their way onto the tracks.

As they walked they brushed some of the grass and dirt off of their shorts, the only clothing either wore. They had disposed of the rest of their attire earlier in the day, preferring to run around with as few constraints as possible on the vibrant July afternoon.

Ambling between the steel tracks, the two chatted amiably as they moved from one wooden tie to another. It was summer, beautiful, sweet smelling, and the time for the boys' exploration and play. Tony, back in Campeche, Mexico, for the summer, spent most of his free time with his best friend.

Miguel suddenly yanked up his foot and tried to examine it while hopping a few steps further. He gave up, finally, and ordered, "Tony, hold on a minute," then sat down on one of the rails. "I got a splinter in my foot, a mucho big splinter."

Tony bent down to examine the foot and advised, "It needs to be gotten out as soon as possible. Ducky says that leaving foreign objects, especially dirty ones, in the body causes infections." Tony had a wealth of medical knowledge learned from the brilliant Dr. Mallard. He smiled encouragingly at his buddy.

Miguel sighed, "Is that so, Tony? You know you even sonido- sound- like Doctor Mallard speaks."

Miguel, at eleven, was the elder by two years. However, Tony had a great deal of wisdom for a nine year old, thanks to his family and family friends. In this case, Dr. Mallard was Ducky, medical examiner for NCIS, the agency where Tony's dad worked.

"Si, yes, and that looks more like a stick in your foot, and not a splinter." Tony sat beside his pal and nodded sympathetically.

"Thanks a lot, then, because I am scared to pull it out. It hurts, too."

"Let me try, ok? If we go home with splinters and they know they came from the railroad yard, I'll get into trouble. I'm not supposed to be playing here." Tony reasoned with his friend. "Really, it has been a pretty long time since I got my butt spanked, and I want to keep it that way."

"You're not supposed to be here?" Miguel raised his eyebrows. "If mi padre finds I have been playing at the tracks I will surely get una paliza, a spanking, as well. He has said many times that it is very dangerous here, and he had better not hear of me here."

The pair sat silently a second, then Tony knelt down in front of Miguel. "Ok, just hold your breath a second and I will try to yank it in one try."

Miguel used both hands to hold the rail on either side, and Tony grabbed his friend's ankle and studied it a second before he snatched out the wood fragment in one complete piece. "Done- I got it," Tony announced.

"You almost looked like a real life doctor there," Miguel smiled, rubbing the wound site.

"Maybe I will grown up and be a medico, a doctor. Then I could make lots of money and I can live down here in Campeche all the time." Tony held out a hand and pulled up the invalid, who tested his foot gingerly on the ground before taking a step.

They continued hiking the tracks, nearing a neighbouring village, and eventually came to two boxcars stationary and unfettered on a parallel track. Almost directly above was a bridge, and the boys regarded it appraisingly, having crossed it while riding in cars numerous times. An idea formed for both at almost the same instant, and they hastily scrambled up the bridge abutment nimbly and stood on the bridge, regarding the drop.

"That is un largo camino, a long way-" Miguel admitted.

"Yes," Tony agreed, "but we are super humans, and brave super humans at that!"

The two looked at each other for a moment before Tony suggested, "We could jump from the bridge and land on the top of that car." He pointed to the railroad car almost directly under them.

Miguel leaned over the rail and regarded the distance from the bridge to the top of the steel rail car. "That is a long way, amigo."

"Are you scared? I'm only nine and I'm not afraid. You're eleven, so you should be a whole lot braver than I am. Don't be a little girl."

"No," Miguel denied, "I am not chicken. I just said that it is far- lejos, amigo."

"Ok, then," Tony responded, "let's do it."

Tony definitely had a daredevil streak in him, which often led him straight into trouble. He tended to act without thinking through what he planned to do, reacting to the intensity of the moment instead of stepping back and considering the ramifications.

Miguel stood debating. Usually he thought through matters carefully and rationally. However, when he found his pride at stake, his inclination was to save face.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I dare you."

"Well, I dare you," Miguel countered.

"I plan to do it. The thing we have to worry about is missing the train car's roof. So, we have to jump just right and land in the middle of the top." Tony peered over the bridge railing.

"If we bounce to the track we will get really hurt," Miguel offered, rubbing his hands together.

"Ok, so when we land we need to try to roll." Tony nodded and turned to find the spot they could use to make the best jump from the bridge. "We really need to be balanced on the other side of this railing." He stepped over the rail gingerly and sat down on the bars, placing his feet carefully on the little strip of concrete edging. "We just stand, count, and go."

Miguel copied his friend and took up position beside him. "We jump together, and after I have made the signal for us."

A shout from the distance startled them both, and they jerked their heads towards the sound. A policeman hurried purposefully towards them, waving his arms.

"Uh oh," Miguel looked from the officer to his friend.

The policeman yelled again, and as the distance shortened between them, his orders to the boys to get away from the railing immediately became clear.

Tony grinned at Miguel. "Now or never, amigo-"

"Uno, dos, tres!" Miguel yelled.

The daredevils launched themselves off of the ledge in tandem, free falling to the frantic cries of the policeman. They landed with hard thumps, and tumbled a ways before the momentum gave out and they lay sprawled on the rail car.