The Makeout Machine

"Jimmy. Someone is coming for you."

I saw Jimmy take a breath and his eyelids fluttered. "Is it my mom?" he asked weakly.

"I'm not sure, but it's someone. It won't be long now."

I could hear whatever it was getting really close now. Then I heard a new sound, a swishing combined with a rhythmic clanking. With a start, I realized it was a bicycle –Billy's bicycle!

Billy's bicycle suddenly came through the trees. Immediately behind him appeared the vehicle I had been hearing. I was surprised, but it made sense.

"Jimmy, you're not riding with your mom."

"An ambulance?" he asked.

"No, man. You're going to ride inThe Makeout Machine."

Cartwheel's van bounced along the dirt road and came to a stop. Cartwheel jumped out and ran through the stream to where Jimmy still lay on the ground. Cartwheel was wearing his usual t-shirt, blue jean cut-offs and sandals. He had obviously come directly from the swimming pool. He knelt down and touched Jimmy very gently.

"Don't move him! I mean, he might be hurt, or ..." Tim admonished him. Billy and I gave Tim the kind of look a teacher gives you when you interrupt her.

"He knows more first aid than us," Billy told Tim.

Cartwheel never reacted to the exchange. All his attention was directed to Jimmy. He was touching Jimmy very delicately. Jimmy winced when Cartwheel touched his arm, then winced even louder when he touched his leg. The lower leg was a darker color than it had been before. Cartwheel turned to me, speaking in a hushed tone, too quietly for Jimmy to hear.

"We need to take him to a hospital. I don't like the way his leg looks. Will you help me?"

Cartwheel was askingme to help him. What couldI do? He was supposed to know what to do. He was here to save the day. Still surprised, I nodded.

"Help me turn him onto his back," Cartwheel said. I reached out to my friend but I wasn't able to do very much because I winced when Jimmy reacted to the pain with a scream. Cartwheel said to me, "I'm going to try to lift him as gently as I can." Speaking a little louder, "Jimmy, this will probably hurt a lot. I'm going to try to make this as painless as possible."

Jimmy just gave a small nod. Cartwheel carefully slid one arm under Jimmy's neck. The other arm went under his legs, starting with the uninjured one. When he reached the injured leg, Jimmy cried out again.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy. I can't help it. I have to get you to help."

Jimmy said something that sounded like, "It's OK."

I winced every time Jimmy reacted. Cartwheel looked at me. "Dave, open the van door." I ran ahead and opened the first door. Cartwheel had to explain to me how to unlatch the other door so he could gently put Jimmy down on the floor.

The inside ofThe Makeout Machine was not at all as we had imagined it. It was very different from the opium den or the bachelor pad we had built up in our minds. It had orange shag carpet on the floor and a bench seat. That was all there was.

Cartwheel was waiting for me to move out of the way so he could lay Jimmy down. I got out of the way and Cartwheel put Jimmy on the floor. Then he turned to me. He looked very serious, and maybe nervous. I've never seen him look anything but confident and friendly before. That day, he looked scared. That mademe scared. He was Cartwheel. He was supposed to know what to do. If he was worried, what was going to happen to Jimmy?

"The road out of here is pretty bumpy. I need you to ride with Jimmy and hold on to him."

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked my hero.

Then it happened. It looked like Cartwheel was blinking away tears. He looked me right in the eye, and then looked away, up at the sky. "I don't know, David." The words were just a whisper, purposely too quiet for Jimmy to hear. In that instant, my hero fell off his pedestal. He wiped his eyes. "I don't like the way his leg looks. We need to get him to the hospital. Climb in."

I did as I was asked. Without wonder now, I enteredThe Makeout Machine and crouched next to Jimmy, who was lying on the shag carpet. Seeing Cartwheel cry changed something in me. He wasn't invincible after all. He was human. I was counting on him to be something more, something a lot more, and save the day. I was counting on him to be the hero and save Jimmy. What I was seeing was something less. I felt wounded inside.

Cartwheel closed the doors and hurried around to the other side. Getting behind the wheel, he started the engine. He looked back to the two of us.

"Jimmy, the road is pretty rough until we get to the street. I'm going to try to make it as easy as I can for you, but it's going to be a little bumpy." Looking me in the eye now, Cartwheel said, "David, try to hold him still. Do the best you can." I felt so small, so useless at that moment. Worse, I felt like Cartwheel wasn't going to be much better at helping Jimmy.

I felt the van move. Cartwheel turned it around and it jostled as we reentered the woods. Jimmy moaned loudly every time we hit a bump. I tried to reassure him. I had to be strong for Jimmy. I had to give him hope. Unable to draw strength from Cartwheel any longer, I thought of what it might have been like for the astronauts if one of them had gotten hurt on the moon. For them, help was days away. I tried to be strong for Jimmy like I imagined the astronauts would be for each other. I needed another hero to give me strength.

We bumped along the road. The tree branches made slapping and scraping sounds against the sides of the van. Cartwheel was going slow, too slow it seemed. I finally realized that he was going so slowly because the road was so rough. It never seemed this bad to us on our bicycles. I knew then why we never saw cars driving out to the swing. It seemed like hours and miles before we came out of the woods, still only halfway to the street. The road wasn't any less bumpy, but more sunlight filtered into the tinted windows of the van.

I finally took my eyes off Jimmy for a few minutes and looked around. I didn't know why we ever were so fascinated byThe Makeout Machine. It was just an old van inside, not at all what we had built up in our minds. Reality was turning out to be far less impressive than my imagination had been.

"How's he doing?" Cartwheel asked.

I looked back to my friend lying on the carpet. Jimmy opened his eyes a little. He was either grimacing or trying to give me a tight smile. I smiled back, but it took a lot of effort. Inside, I was scared.

"He'll make it, Cartwheel." It looked like Jimmy gave me a little nod with his head when I said that.

"Of course he will," Cartwheel responded, but I didn't hear a lot of confidence in his voice. I hated the way he sounded. I needed him to be the grownup, the hero. Jimmy needed him. The engine labored on as we bumped our way to the street. I saw a shape go by the heavily tinted window and realized I was seeing the burned out building. We were close to the street now. I told that to Jimmy.

After what seemed far too long, I felt one more bump and knew the van was back on a paved road. Cartwheel turned and accelerated. He seemed to know the way to the hospital without even thinking about it. I tried to brace myself now so I wouldn't fall on Jimmy when we went around turns.

"We'll be at the hospital in about fifteen minutes," Cartwheel announced as he drove. It seemed that he was driving a lot faster than my parents ever had along this street. He was trying really hard after all. I felt bad for doubting him earlier.

There wasn't much traffic. Now I realize it was just before rush hour. Back then, I never knew about such things, or cared. Life was so much simpler for me. I shifted my eyes from Jimmy to Cartwheel and back. I was watching Jimmy to see if he needed anything, though I don't know what I could have done for him. I guess I was watching Cartwheel to encourage him to go even faster but he seemed to be doing all he could.

Finally, there was a bump as the van drove over the curb, then a short dash until the van stopped suddenly with a light screech of the tires. Cartwheel was still getting out of his seat when the door suddenly slid open. A few people were standing there, men and women, dressed in light green suits. Two of them were pushing a stretcher.

"Be careful with Jimmy," I urged as they reached for him. "He's hurt pretty bad."

"Where is he hurt?" one of them people asked me.

"His arm and his leg, I think."

Speaking loudly, one of the women addressed my friend. "Jimmy. Jimmy, can you hear me. You're at the hospital. We're going to move you. Tell us where it hurts."

Cartwheel was there now and he motioned for me to come with him. I waited for them to move Jimmy to the gurney before getting out to follow Cartwheel. It tore me up inside to hear Jimmy scream when they moved him. We watched Jimmy being wheeled inside. One of the women turned back to face us.

"I'll need some information from you."

"Sure," Cartwheel told her.

"What is the boy's name?"

"Jimmy... Lerner?" Cartwheel looked to me for confirmation. I nodded.

"Parent's name?"

I started to answer, "Mrs. Lerner," then realized what she wanted. I thought for a few moments. "Amanda, I think."

The woman was being very patient with me. "Do you know his phone number?"

I recited Jimmy's number.

"I'll need your names as well as a description of how the accident happened."

I didn't hear Cartwheel's answer because there was a flurry of activity in the direction Jimmy had been taken. When I turned back to Cartwheel and the lady, she was repeating her question.

"David, how did the accident happen?"

I told her how Jimmy fell when the rope broke and how we didn't move him except to put him in the van.

"That's good. You took good care of your friend. The doctor is with him now. I'm going to go call his parents."

After the lady left us alone, Cartwheel directed me to some chairs. We sat and waited. We didn't talk much and it was hard to just wait. I was worried about Jimmy. I did watch Cartwheel from time to time. He seemed to be worried also. I was afraid of what was going to happen to my friend.

Time passed slowly, even more slowly than when I was waiting for Billy to return. I couldn't get comfortable in the chair. Waiting there was almost a physical pain. Finally, I heard a man call, "Mr. Cartwright?"

I didn't react, but I was surprised when Cartwheel said, "Over here, doctor." I looked at Cartwheel with surprise but he didn't notice. His eyes were on the doctor.

"How is he, Doctor Hindman?"

I wondered how he knew the doctor's name, until I focused on the embroidered name above the pocket of his white lab coat – G. Hindman, M.D.

"His arm is broken, but we're really worried about his leg. When he broke it, he damaged a blood vessel. There was some internal bleeding so we're going to have to do surgery to repair it. We've spoken to his mother and she is on her way over here now. Can you tell me how long it's been since he fell?"

Both men looked at me and I looked back to Cartwheel. "I sent Billy on his bike to Jimmy's house right after he fell. I don't know how long it took him to get back."

Cartwheel thought for a few moments and then looked at his watch. "About forty-five minutes."

The doctor nodded. He smiled a little, his next words designed to calm some of our fears. "The boy is going to be alright. You did the right thing getting him here so fast. He's lucky to have friends like you two." Then he put his hand on my arm. The doctor's reassuring touch did make me feel better. "I've got to get back in there. We'll keep you informed on his progress." The doctor got up and walked back through the doors where he came from.

I looked at Cartwheel. He was still staring at the door the doctor had gone through. I thought at that point maybe there was more to Cartwheel than I had given him credit for lately. I was thinking about that when my thoughts were interrupted by a sound. It was a sound every person recognizes, no matter what they are doing. Someone was calling my name.

"David!" It was Jimmy's mom. She was crying a little when I looked up and she was heading for me. The look on her face made me realize just how much a parent loves a child. It was like agony, grief and frustration, all wrapped up together.

"Mrs. Lerner. We just talked to the doctor. Jimmy is going to be OK," I told her, trying to reassure her.

A nurse must have heard us because she came over. "Are you Jimmy Lerner's mother?" she asked. Mrs. Lerner nodded. "Come with me. You can see him for a moment." She took Mrs. Lerner through the door. She was gone for only a few minutes. When she returned, she looked, I don't know, more composed, I guess. She sat down next to me. She was still upset, but she looked like she was doing much better.

Cartwheel spoke up next. "I guess now that you're here, ma'am, I'd better be getting back to work."

"Thank you, both of you, for what you did for Jimmy." The gratitude in her face was something I don't think I'll ever forget. It made me realize how much we had done for Jimmy. I didn't feel so useless any more. We had helped – really helped. Both of us.

"You're welcome," Cartwheel said, holding her hand with both of his. Then he turned his gaze to me. "Want a ride home with me?"

A few hours before, a chance to ride in TheMakeout Machine would have been something I'd never dream of turning down. After what had happened that afternoon, I had other priorities.

"No, thanks. I'd like to stay and see how Jimmy is doing. Can I, Mrs. Lerner?"

"Sure, David. We can call your mother later."

"OK. Let me know how Jimmy is doing." With that, Cartwheel got up to leave.

After he was gone, I broke the silence with a question. It wasn't important at that point in time, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. I was only ten, after all.

"Mrs. Lerner?" It took her a moment or two to realize I was talking to her before she gave me her attention. She had been lost in thought, probably worried about Jimmy.

"Yes, dear?"

"The doctor called Cartwheel 'Mr. Cartwright'."

She smiled in that gentle way all mothers do. "'Cartwright' is Milton's last name," she explained.

"Cartwheel's name is Milton?" I was astonished that a hippie would have a real name, and such a square name like Milton. On that day, many things had turned out to be not as they appeared. "He has a real name?"

Mrs. Lerner actually laughed at that. "Well, when Mrs. Pemberton writes out his paycheck, I'm sure she doesn't make it out to 'Cartwheel'."

I never thought about hippies having bank accounts before. I kept myself occupied for some time thinking about Cartwheel.

It was a long wait for the doctor to come back to talk to us. Mrs. Lerner had called my mother and she came over. I wanted to wait for the doctor before I'd leave, though, so the three of us waited together. Finally, Dr. Hindman came out to talk to us. He wanted to take Mrs. Lerner aside, but she saw the pained look on my face and insisted the doctor talk to all of us. That made me feel grownup.

The doctor explained that Jimmy had a broken arm and a broken leg. The internal bleeding was under control but Jimmy would need surgery. He reassured us that Jimmy would make a full recovery, mostly due to being brought to the hospital so quickly. When he said that, Dr. Hindman looked right at me and smiled. I felt really important. After that, my mother took me home and Mrs. Lerner moved to the surgery waiting room while Jimmy had his operation.

On the way home, I told my mother how Cartwheel had come to Jimmy's rescue. By the time we got home, it was dark. Billy and Tim must have gotten our bikes back from the woods somehow. Mine was parked next to our back door. I had hoped to ride over to the pool to give Cartwheel an update on Jimmy but I knew he would have already gone home for the night.

Later that night, Mrs. Lerner called and told me that Jimmy was out of surgery and doing fine. She asked me to pass the news along to 'Milton' and I promised I would do that in the morning.

The next day, before I could get over to the pool, Billy and Tim showed up at my house to ask about Jimmy. I told them what I knew and they rode over to the pool with me so I could tell Cartwheel.

It felt different that day when I saw him. We looked at each other in a different way. It was like we were more on an equal footing. I had seen the human side in him. I had seen him afraid. I had seen the fear he felt when he was confronted with a situation he couldn't fully control. I guess he had seen me helping him help Jimmy. The two of us had changed somehow. Even when we spoke, it was different from the way we had talked before.

When Mrs. Pemberton heard about how Cartwheel had thrown everybody out of the pool and closed it early so he could leave, she was going to fire him. Jimmy's mom threatened to get Mrs. Pemberton voted out. In the end, everybody heard the story about how Cartwheel had saved Jimmy and he kept his job. I even became famous in the neighborhood. Cartwheel and David, the local celebrities. What an unlikely pair.

When Jimmy finally came home from the hospital, he had a plaster cast on his arm and a soft cast on his leg. He couldn't get around very much so Billy, Tim and I spent most of the rest of the summer at his house. Cartwheel had even come to visit him one afternoon after he had closed the pool for the day. Cartwheel signed Jimmy's arm cast, drawing a peace sign next to his name. When Jimmy finally got his casts off and could ride his bike again, it was the end of the summer. It was also Cartwheel's last day at the pool. We all rode over to tell him goodbye.

When we got there. Mrs. Pemberton and Cartwheel were just going over the final details. She was handing him his last paycheck and he was returning the keys. The pool was officially closed for the summer. We kept our distance outside the fence and respectfully waited for them to finish their business. We could hear Mrs. Pemberton apologizing for wanting to fire him earlier.

They finished and walked out. I heard the click as Cartwheel locked the padlock for the last time. He turned to us, surprise showing in his face as he recognized Jimmy.

"How are you doing, man?" he asked Jimmy.

"Cool. Real cool now that I can ride my wheels again."

"That's great. It's good to see you up and around."

"Thanks, Cartwheel."

"Don't mention it. I'm a lifeguard. I'm supposed to save people." He grinned when he said that. "I'm just supposed to save people in the water. For my special friends, though, I make exceptions."

A car pulled into the parking lot really fast and Jimmy's mom got out. "I was afraid I'd miss you. I had to go to the bank," she was saying as she got out. She walked up to Cartwheel, ignoring us kids. "My husband and I want to thank you for what you did for Jimmy. If not for you, he might -"

She started to cry as she said that and Cartwheel hugged her. It was so funny to see them hugging. His hair was longer than hers. "He's OK now," Cartwheel was telling her.

"I know, but when I see him riding his bike again, and how the doctor told me he might not have been able to do that ever again if he hadn't gotten to the hospital in time -"

She started crying all over again and Cartwheel hugged her. When she stopped, she held up an envelope she had been carrying. It was kind of thick.

"Mr. Lerner and I want to give you this."

Cartwheel held up his hand. "You don't have to do that. It's really not necessary."

She continued, "It's to help you this fall. We know what's ahead for you. We want to help." She looked him in the eye, not backing down. In the end, Cartwheel relented and accepted the envelope. He thanked her and they hugged again. After that, she left. It was just Cartwheel and the four of us.