Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OC's belong to me.
Author's note: Fireman Sam: Set for Action first aired in Australia on ABC Kids on September 30th, 2018. Since I'm Australian, I've been able to obtain a copy of it, so please don't ask how I've been able to get access to it before anyone else on FanFiction.
Note to guest reviewers: Do NOT leave reviews asking me to continue or update my stories as soon as I've published a chapter. They will be blocked and deleted. I am NOT a computer, and I am not being paid to do this, so please show some respect and refrain from immediately demanding more. I have other stories to work on, and I also have a life outside of FanFiction. I now have a zero tolerance for people like you. My policy is, for every review asking me to update, the next chapter will be delayed by a week. If you can't leave constructive criticism, I'd prefer it if you didn't say anything. THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING.
Warning: Contains spoilers from Fireman Sam: Set for Action! and two of my other FanFics - Broken, and Sam Grows Up.
Chapter 1
"Good morning, Tom!" I called as I entered the Mountain Rescue Centre. Startled, Tom jumped, spilling his cup of tea down the front of his uniform.
"Whoa! Mate! I wasn't expecting to see you today."
"Yeah, well, Station Officer Steele assigned me to do a safety inspection here today, so I decided to take a walk instead of driving."
"Fair enough. How's your shoulder holding up?"
"Actually, it hasn't been too bad since I returned to work. The week off really helped it."
It had been about three weeks since I'd badly jarred my weak left shoulder while escaping from James and his giant runaway pumpkin. Helen had ordered me to take a week's sick leave to rest it, and I was glad that I'd done so because since returning to work, I hadn't had any issues with it. I'd initially injured my shoulder and badly broken my forearm in a nasty crash on Mercury earlier in the year. At least my forearm is a hundred percent better now.
"I'm sure it did," Tom agreed. "I'm just surprised that you walked here today. What if you're needed? It's still the school holidays, you know."
"I'm not concerned. You see, Ellie and Moose are taking care of the kids today as part of their Junior Cadet training, and they've taken Jupiter, and Penny took Mercury to respond to a minor breakdown, so I had to leave Venus behind in case she's needed. Anyway, I guess I'd better get started on that safety inspection."
"Sure, mate. I'll just go and change into a fresh uniform."
"Why don't you leave that one on, just in case I startle you again?" I teased.
Tom responded by throwing a wet tea towel at me. I ducked, and it hit the wall behind me, leaving a damp patch.
"Hmm… Wet tea towel left on the floor. That's not very safe!"
"There's more where that came from!" Tom threatened.
Laughing, I made my way upstairs to begin my safety check. I was about halfway through, when I heard an alert coming in. I went over to the Map Screen-700, and I pressed the button to see what the emergency was.
"There is a runaway oil tanker heading towards Pontypandy, and it is on fire," the Map Screen-700 announced.
Oh, Great Fires of London! Why do we always get the difficult ones?
"I'm on it, sir!" Ellie replied over the radio.
She's going to need help. I slammed my fist down on the red alarm button, triggering the Mountain Rescue Centre's alarms. Tom ran upstairs.
"What is it, Sam?"
"Runaway burning oil tanker heading towards Pontypandy," I reported. "Ellie's going to need backup."
We ran upstairs to the helicopter launch pad. Since I was already wearing my firefighting uniform, I clipped my helmet on and I prepared the harness.
"What do you have in mind for this one, Sam?" Tom asked as he climbed into the cockpit.
"Try and lower me onto the roof of the lorry. I'll use the harness to get the driver to safety."
Tom shook his head in disbelief. "You don't come up with any easy ones, do you? Have you done this before?"
"I've landed on the roof of the train, remember?"
"Oh, yeah…"
"Let's go!" I slipped the harness around myself before I climbed into the cargo bay. Tom started up Wallaby Two, and we took off into the air. Once we were airborne, I lowered myself out of the cargo bay, so the I was flying in the harness below Wallaby Two.
"It's no good, sir," I heard Ellie report over the radio. "I can't get any closer to that oil truck! I've got Mandy and Sarah on board today for a Junior Cadet's field trip!"
"We have to stop it somehow!" Station Officer Steele exclaimed. "Its brakes don't work, and it's heading straight for Pontypandy!"
There was radio silence for a few seconds, then I heard Ellie say desperately, "We need Fireman Sam!"
"Yes!" Station Officer Steele agreed. "But, where is he?"
I pressed the 'talk' button on my radio. "I'm on my way, sir! Get me in closer, Tom!"
"Rodger that, Sam!"
I could now see the burning tanker below us, being hotly pursued by Ellie in Jupiter. With expert skill, Tom managed to fly Wallaby Two above the tanker, and he positioned me low enough so that I could land on top of it. Once I was sure I had a firm footing, I slipped the harness off, but I kept holding onto it. Taking great care, I crawled down onto the cab roof. Then, I leaned over so that I could peek into the cab through the open window. The poor driver was as white as a sheet and his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel.
I decided to try and make light of the situation to help him relax. "I hear you're in a bit of trouble, sir."
Surprised, the driver simply stared at me. "Huh?"
"Stay calm," I soothed. I unlatched the cab door, pushed it open and scrambled down off the roof, all while keeping hold of the harness. Once I had my feet firmly planted on the tanker's external steps, I leaned in and I unfastened the driver's seatbelt. Then, I slipped the harness around the driver's head. "We'll have you out of here in no time," I said as I helped him slip his arms under the harness strap. Once I'd secured the harness around him, I yanked him out of the driver's seat. He screamed as he flew off into the air with Wallaby Two. Meanwhile, I got into the driver's seat myself, and I closed the door.
There must be something I can do to at least slow this tanker down. I tried the brake lever, but sure enough, it had failed. Just like when I crashed Mercury… Oh, please! I can't go through that again. I really didn't think this through…
"I can't slow it down," I reported to Station Officer Steele and Ellie via the radio. "Am I clear up ahead?"
"No, Sam!" Penny immediately replied. "Trevor's bus is blocking the road. I've got all the passengers out, but we can't move the bus."
I glanced around, looking for a way off the road, but stone walls lined both sides of the road in this area. This can't be happening! I might have no other choice but to crash into a wall… But that'll mean an explosion…
At that moment, I saw a wooden gate in the wall. Seeing my way out, I deliberately steered the tanker into it. The gate splintered, and I was jolted around as it headed off-road, but I managed to keep it going straight.
"He's off the road now, Penny!" Ellie reported. "But he's headed for the trees!" She was no longer following me in Jupiter, because Jupiter was unable to go off-road over such hilly terrain. I'm not even sure that the tanker was designed for it either, but I'd had no other choice.
"On my way," Penny said.
I managed to steer the tanker through some of the forest, but the track ended in a dead-end. Penny drew up alongside me on Mercury.
"Sam, there's no way out from here!" she informed me.
That made my decision easy. I was going to have to jump clear and hope that I didn't end up breaking my arm again. I pushed open the cab door and leapt. Miraculously, I managed to land on both feet this time, and I instinctively tucked myself into a ball. I did a full forward summersault before I managed to stop myself from rolling by planting my left fist onto the ground. Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be! I thought as I watched the tanker crash into the trees and explode into a fireball. I stood up, still staring at the destroyed tanker. I saw a few stars floating in my vison, but they cleared quickly.
"Are you okay, Sam?" Penny asked as she drove past me on Mercury.
"I'm fine, Penny!" I reassured her. "Just doing my job," I added softly.
Seeing that Arnold and Elvis had arrived in Venus, I ran over to her and I pulled out two fire extinguishers. Then, I jogged over to Penny, and I handed one of them to her. Together, we approached the fire, along with Elvis with a hose and Arnold with a beater. Working as a team, we set out extinguishing the fire.
"It's under control now, Sam!" Elvis reported.
"Good." My fire extinguisher ran out, so I carried it over to Venus. Looking up, I saw Ellie, Sarah and Mandy standing a safe distance away. Mandy had her phone out, so she was obviously filming again. Those kids!
After I'd marked that the fire extinguisher was empty, I put it back inside Venus' locker. Then, I sat down on the open tray to rest. My colleagues joined me a few minutes later.
"The fire is out now, Sam," Penny reported. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded slowly. "I'm fine. Just feeling a little foolish. I didn't think about what I'd do once I'd rescued the driver."
Penny patted my shoulder. "Never mind, Sam. Everyone's safe, and that's the important thing."
"I suppose… I kept getting flashbacks of my crash with Mercury though."
Penny offered me a hug, which I accepted. She didn't need to say anything else.
I drew in a deep breath before I hopped down off the tray. It was time for me to resume my duties as Leading Fireman. "Okay, team. Let's pack up."
…
It was several hours before we were able to return to the fire station after clearing up after the incident. The remains of the tanker had been towed away to Newtown for police examination, while the shaken driver was being cared for by Helen.
Upon our arrival, Penny and I immediately went to report to Station Officer Steele. We found him seated at his desk, talking on his phone.
"Yes, Helen. I'll let him know. Thanks. Bye." And he hung up the phone.
"What did Helen want?" Penny asked.
"She wants to see you, Sam," Station Officer Steele replied.
"I think I can guess why," I muttered.
"She saw Mandy's footage of your rescue, and she just wants to be sure you're okay, physically. I must say, I'm looking forward to seeing the footage myself!"
I groaned. "It wasn't anything special, sir."
"No, you only landed on top of a moving vehicle, helped the driver out, took over steering and then leapt clear," Penny teased. "At least you managed to land on your feet this time, and not on your arm."
"Thanks, Penny," I muttered sarcastically. "How's the driver doing?"
"Helen said that he's badly shaken, but recovering well," Station Officer Steele replied. "He has someone coming from Cardiff to collect him."
"I'm glad he'll be okay," I said. "We'd better go and write our reports now."
"Thank you," Station Officer Steele said as Penny and I left the room.
"I know how you can prove to Helen that you're fine, and don't need a check-up," Penny said as we made our way upstairs.
"Oh? How?"
…
Twenty minutes later, Penny and I were seated at the kitchen table, filling out our reports, when we heard a vehicle pull into the driveway downstairs. Penny went over to the window to see who it was.
"Helen's here, Sam."
"Thanks."
I went over to the nearest fireman's pole, and I took hold of it.
"She's just entering the appliance bay now."
I pulled myself onto the pole and I slid down it just as Helen appeared from around Venus.
"Oh! There you are, Sam!"
"Station Officer Steele said that you were concerned about me after what happened earlier," I said.
"Erm… Yes. And, knowing you as well as I do, I know how good you are at hiding things from me; even if you can slide down a fireman's pole. Come into the sick bay so I can check you over."
I sighed with annoyance. "Can't it wait until after I've finished my report?"
"No, I'm afraid it can't wait, Sam. I have other patients to attend to besides you, you know."
I cupped my hand next to my mouth. "It didn't work, Penny!" I called up through the hole above me. Penny's head appeared as she looked down at me.
"I didn't think it would!"
"Then… Oh, never mind." And I reluctantly followed Helen into the sick bay.
"Sit down on the bed, please, and take off your shirt," Helen instructed once I'd closed the door. I did so, and Helen began to feel my forearm where I'd broken it.
"Helen, you really don't need to make a fuss," I protested. "I can assure you that I'm perfectly fine. I'll admit that my muscles will probably be a bit sore tomorrow, but that's it."
Helen was now feeling my left shoulder. "In that case, I recommend a hot shower and a massage. Didn't you feel anything when you landed?"
I shook my head. "I felt like I landed on a pillow or something soft. Then again, I do have a very high pain threshold."
"Or maybe your guardian angel was working overtime."
I chuckled. "Maybe." Or maybe it was my Pwca protecting me again?
"Did you feel dizzy at all when you stood up?"
"I saw a few stars, but that's all. They didn't last long."
Helen took out a small torch, and she shone it into my eyes. I knew she was looking for signs of concussion.
"At least you were wearing your helmet," Helen mused. "I think you'll be okay, but just be wary of delayed concussion. If you start to feel tired, dizzy or nauseous…"
"Contact you immediately," I finished.
"Yes. And, I'm going to advise that you don't do anything strenuous for the rest of the day."
"In other words, you don't want me to go jumping out of another runaway vehicle?"
Helen chuckled. "You know what I mean. I'll just go and tell Station Officer Steele, and then I'll be on my way."
I pulled my shirt back on, and I tucked it in. "Thanks, Helen."
After Helen had gone upstairs, I went into the appliance bay to check my helmet and uniform for damage. My uniform was a bit dirty, but since I could only wash it a few times before the fire-resistant coating became damaged, I brushed the worst of the dirt off with my hand. Then, I looked at my helmet. The plastic visor was badly scratched, and it had a few cracks in it, so I decided to replace it. I retrieved a new visor out of one of the lockers, and I set about removing the old one.
Penny joined me just as I'd finished attaching the new visor. "What did Helen say?"
"My arm's fine. I just need to be wary of delayed concussion."
"In other words, light duties only?"
"Unfortunately, yes." I put my helmet back on the shelf. "I don't mind though. I think I've had enough excitement for one day. Want to help me replace the fire extinguishers in Venus?"
"Sure."
That only took us a couple of minutes. Then, I returned upstairs to finish filling out my report. When I'd finished, I went downstairs to give it to Station Officer Steele. I was surprised to find Helen still in the Control room, talking to Station Officer Steele. In fact, she was showing him Mandy's footage of my rescue. He looked completely stunned.
I cleared my throat to get their attention. "I've finished my report, sir."
"Just put it on my desk," Station Officer Steele replied without taking his eye off Helen's mobile phone screen. His eyes widened, then he winced. "Are you sure he didn't hurt himself, Helen?"
"If he did, he's hiding it very well."
I sighed and rolled my eyes. He doesn't even know that I'm here! I'll test him. "Sir, there's been an earthquake in Newtown."
"That's great," Station Officer Steele replied dismissively.
Shaking my head, I started to leave the room.
"Sam deserves a medal for putting his life on the line like that!" Station Officer Steele exclaimed.
"You mean, another one to go with the twenty-five other medals I already have?" I retorted loudly as I closed the door. I was exaggerating about how many medals I had, but it felt like twenty-five. The truth was, I wasn't sure how many medals I had, but even one was one too many for me.
I don't want to be rewarded for doing my job. I just love being able to do it.
