Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.

Through Sam's Eyes

Deep Trouble for Sam

"With all due respect, sir, I don't want to have a holiday."

"Regardless of what you want, Sam, you're going to take that holiday whether you like it or not!" Station Officer Steele replied firmly. "You are required, by law, to take four weeks' annual leave. Just be grateful I'm not making you take those four weeks all at once!"

I exhaled deeply with frustration as I rested my head in my hands. Seems I'm going to be forced to have a holiday whether I like it or not. I looked back at Station Officer Steele. "Who's going to replace me?"

"Firefighter Penny Morris, from Newtown."

I nodded slowly. Well, she's probably about the only one who could replace me! "What on earth am I going to do for a whole week?"

Station Officer Steele smirked. "I'm afraid that's your problem. Surely you've got some gardening to do?"

"No, I've done everything until next season."

"Well, you could always spend some time with your family…"

"Mmm… Maybe. Depends on how busy they are."

Station Officer Steele stood up, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll think of something. In the meantime, you still have work to do around here."

"Yes, I need to refuel Jupiter. Let's hope we don't have any emergency calls while I'm doing it."

"Do it outside this time, please. Last time you did it, the fumes came into the kitchen."

Now it was my turn to smirk. "I did that deliberately, to cover the smell of Elvis' cooking, sir."

Station Officer Steele laughed heartily as I left his office.

…

Even though I didn't have my alarm set, I naturally awoke the following morning at my usual time. Sighing, I lay in bed, trying to think of what I could do that day. Maybe I could go for a walk in the park, until I can think of something more productive to do.

And so, I got up, dressed into some casual clothes, and went downstairs to make my breakfast. Half an hour later, I left my house, and I walked idly down the street to the park. It was so quiet and peaceful there; too quiet for my liking. However, I slumped down onto a bench, and I started to let my thoughts wander.

However, I wasn't alone for long. I smiled when I saw James and Sarah enter the park.

"Hello, Uncle Sam!" they called as they walked over to me.

"Hello, you two. What are you doing today?"

"Dad said you were on holidays, so we thought we'd come and see what you were doing," Sarah explained.

"Oh. Well, I haven't settled on anything yet."

"How about a game of rounders?" James suggested.

"Brill!" Sarah agreed, and she grabbed my hand to try and get me up. "Come on, Uncle Sam!"

I shook my head despondently. "I don't think so, kids." I'm not really in the mood for playing games.

Sarah let go of my hand, and she tried to turn on the charm. "Well, we could play British bulldogs."

"Don't you think that's a bit rough?" James asked.

"Sorry you two," I said. "I'm just not in the mood."

"Well, what about hide and seek?" Sarah suggested as she sat down on the bench beside me.

"I think I'll just give the fire station a call," I said, and I looked at them both before I stood up. "See how things are going."

Leaving my niece and nephew, I left the park, and I headed over to the nearest phone box, which was outside Dilys' shop. After I'd put the money in, I dialled the fire station's number. Penny answered after the first ring.

"Pontypandy fire station."

"Hi Penny," I said.

"Oh, hello, Sam! Sunning yourself on the Costa del Porthcawl*?"

Haha! Very funny, Penny… "No! Not quite… I-I'm in a phone box outside Dilys' shop. I-I was wondering how things are going?" This is so awkward!

"We're all fine here."

Pity! But she's just moved into a new house, so perhaps she could use a hand there… "Everything in the garden's lovely then, is it? You don't need er…anything doing?"

"Well, if you're desperate for something to do, you could always weed my garden."

I cheered up immediately. Finally! Something useful to do! "Oh, no problem! I'll be there in two ticks!" And I hung up the phone without even saying goodbye. "I've had enough of taking it easy to last me a year!" I muttered as I left the phone box.

I returned to the park, where Sarah and James were waiting for me to return. "Do either of you know where Trevor is? Penny's asked me to weed her garden, and I need a lift out there."

"Last time I saw him, he was heading towards Bella's café," Sarah replied.

"Come on, then! Let's go and see if he's busy."

…

About an hour later, Trevor kindly dropped me off at Penny's cottage. I found some gardening tools out the back, and I set to work, while Trevor took the twins to go and get some flowers from his allotment.

"Yes…" I muttered happily to myself while I turned the soil. "It doesn't take too long to make an impression on a cottage garden… Even if it's a jungle! Ah!" I stuck the shovel in the ground, so I could take a break. Then, I mopped my sweaty brow with my handkerchief. "Whoof! Well, it's as hot as a jungle."

At that moment, I heard a low rumble, and the pots on a nearby shelf started to wobble and shake.

"That's funny."

Puzzled, I watched as one of the pots tumbled of the shelf and broke on a paving stone. The rumbling stopped.

"They didn't forecast thunder for today." And I put my handkerchief back inside my pocket. Something's not quite right here…

Seconds later, I heard the rumbling sound again, only this time, the ground started shaking and shifting violently beneath me. In fact, the whole garden was moving and sifting as if it was water. Confused, I started to panic as I almost lost my balance. More items fell off the shelf, and they shattered on the paving stones. Then, the top shelf came away from the wall completely, and it crashed to the ground. To my utmost astonishment, the paving stones started caving into the ground. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life!

"Jumping geraniums!" I exclaimed when I saw the sunshade collapse in on itself. Then, I saw the ground starting to split right in front of me. "Oh! What's happening?" I walked backwards as the split in the ground came towards me. I'd never been so scared in my entire life!

Too late, I realised that there was a huge gap in the ground right behind me. I let out a desperate cry as I lost my balance and fell into the hole. Dirt caved in all around me, burying me entirely inside the hole.

…

Air! I need air!

I tried to breathe, but all I got was a mouthful of soil. In desperation, I tried to pull myself upwards through the soil, hoping that I was going in the right direction.

Have to get to the surface! And fast…

With a final, desperate push, I managed to poke my hand out above the surface. Then, miraculously, I got my head and other arm out. Coughing and spluttering, I drew in a refreshing gulp of air.

"Uncle Sam!" I heard James and Sarah exclaim in shock.

Oh, no! I can't have them in here now! It's too dangerous! Looking around, I saw that Trevor was standing in the garden as well. They were all holding pot plants. I coughed again, before I spoke as calmly as I could. I didn't want the kids to panic like I had. "Now, don't you worry you two," I said in a strained voice. The weight of the damp soil around me made it difficult for me to breathe. "You go back… Wait for me…in Trevor's bus."

"Okay, Uncle Sam," Sarah reluctantly agreed, and she left with James.

"I think, I could pull you out, Sam," Trevor volunteered.

"No, Trevor!" I said quickly, holding up a hand in warning. "The ground isn't safe… This is a job…for the fire brigade." I leaned forward, trying to grab hold of a more solid piece of ground in front of me, so that I wouldn't sink down again. "Use Penny's phone."

"Straight away, Sam," Trevor said as he hurried inside the house.

"Aye… Hurry Trevor," I muttered despondently. My breathing was becoming more and more laboured as I struggled to get enough oxygen. I hope Station Officer Steele knows what to do. This is one kind of emergency situation I never learned about while I was at the fire academy…

It seemed like an eternity before I finally heard Jupiter's familiar siren approaching on the road outside. I heard her stop, and then a moment later, Penny and Station Officer Steele entered the garden.

"Oh! What on earth's happened to the garden?" Penny exclaimed in shock as she looked around. Then she saw me and my predicament. "Oh, Sam!"

Station Officer Steele also looked shocked, and very concerned. In many ways, he was like a second father to me, so I knew he'd do his best to look after me now.

"Better use the ejection pipe, sir," Penny suggested. Like me, she could change her demeanour from concerned friend to professional firefighter in an instant.

"Ah, ye-ye-quite right, ah, Firefighter Morris," Station Officer Steele agreed, just as Elvis entered the garden carrying a rope. "Prepare ejection pipe."

Penny was already hurrying back to Jupiter to fetch it. I suddenly felt very foolish. A firefighter being rescued was like a doctor taking medicine. It just wasn't supposed to happen.

"Sorry about all this, sir," I apologised. My breathing was still badly strained.

"'Ere…here we are, Sam," Elvis said as he cautiously got as close to me as he could. "Catch hold of the rope!"

I knew what he wanted me to do, but this would be very dangerous for me. If I didn't time it right, I could slip back beneath the soil again. I'd probably only get one shot at this.

"Right!" Elvis said as he threw the noosed end of the rope towards me.

I threw my hands up in the air as high as I could get them, and I let the noose settle around my chest. Then, as I put my arms back down, I felt myself starting to sink again.

"Got it!" I exclaimed as I tried very hard not to panic again. I grabbed hold of the rope just above the knot. At least I'm secure now. I hope…

Elvis took up the strain on the rope. Penny returned then, carrying a large vacuum pipe. I'd seen it many times before, but I'd never used it.

"Ejection pipe at the ready, sir," Penny said as she cautiously approached me with it.

"Proceed as quickly as you can," Station Officer Steele instructed. "No time to sure up the sides. There could be another shift at any moment."

Penny knelt down beside the hole I was in, and she activated the ejection pipe. I smiled when I saw it start to vacuum up all the soil around me. But then, I felt another tremor starting.

Oh, no! Not another one! Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the fence behind me starting to wobble and crack. Concerned, I looked back at Station Officer Steele. I didn't need to say anything to him. He could clearly read the desperation in my eyes.

"Quick!" Station Officer Steele exclaimed, and he grabbed hold of the rope in front of Elvis. "Get him out of there!" And they both started to pull.

"Penny! Watch out!" Elvis added.

"Pull him clear!" Station Officer Steele instructed, and they yanked hard on the rope.

The tightness of the rope around my chest, combined with the yanking, must've knocked the wind out of me, because I don't remember what happened next. Station Officer Steele told me later that I'd been unconscious for a few worrying seconds, due to lack of oxygen.

At any rate, I was dazed and confused when I regained consciousness. "Where…where am I?" I asked as I looked around in confusion. I know that, in hindsight, it was a stupid question to ask, but a lack of oxygen, even for a few seconds, can be enough to cause temporary confusion and memory loss.

"Back on solid ground, I'm glad to say," Station Officer Steele said happily, and he patted me fondly on my shoulder.

That's when my memory came rushing back to me, and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Penny knelt down beside me. Sarah and James were right behind her.

"You're safe now," Penny reassured me.

"Congratulations, Firefighter Morris," Station Officer Steele said sincerely. "An excellent job!"

"Oh! Thanks, Penny!" I added. But then, I started hyperventilating and coughing.

Station Officer Steele exchanged a worried glance with Penny. "Go and fetch the oxygen kit. Quickly! We need to get him to hospital as fast as possible. He could have breathed in some of that soil."

Penny dashed away. Trevor came over to us.

"I can take him in my bus," he volunteered.

Station Officer Steele nodded in agreement. "I'll stay with him, in case we need to administer first aid. We'll use Jupiter as an emergency escort."

Penny returned with the oxygen kit, and she secured the mask over my face. I started to relax as I breathed in the oxygen. As soon as I felt strong enough to stand, Elvis and Trevor helped me over to the bus.

…

About an hour later, I was lying on a bed in the emergency ward of the Newtown Hospital. I'd just had some x-rays taken of my chest, and now we were all waiting for them to develop. I'd also been given some medication, to help open up my airways, so I no longer needed the oxygen. Station Officer Steele and Penny were standing beside my bed, while Trevor, Sarah and James waited out in the waiting room. Elvis was waiting outside with Jupiter, just in case an emergency call came through.

Finally, the doctor returned. "Right… I have some good news. None of your ribs are cracked or broken, but you do have some bad bruising on your lungs. That's why you're finding it difficult to breathe."

I nodded slowly. "How long will the bruising take to heal?"

"Hopefully not more than a couple of days, as long as you keep applying ice to it. And try not to do anything too strenuous for a week. You could permanently strain your lungs if you're not careful."

"Lucky you're on holidays," Station Officer Steele said.

"This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been on holidays," I muttered crossly.

"Touché!" Penny agreed.

I looked up at her. "I still don't understand what happened."

"It was a sinkhole," Station Officer Steele explained. "Penny's cottage must have been built over an old mine working."

"Oh. So, a tunnel collapsed, causing the ground to open up and swallow me?" That sounds awful!

Station Officer Steele nodded. "We'll contact the council, and get some people out to assess it. In the meantime, Penny's going to have to stay somewhere in Pontypandy…"

I hesitated. "She could stay with me, but people might start talking. Perhaps she could stay with Charlie and Bronwyn? I'll ask them."

Penny smiled. "Thanks, Sam. I appreciate that."

I looked up at the doctor. "Can I go home now?"

"Yes, but I want you to rest as much as possible for the rest of the day, understood?"

I nodded as I tentatively sat up, clutching my chest. "Thanks for your help, doctor."

"If you find you're still having difficulty breathing after a few days, consult your regular doctor."

"Okay."

Station Officer Steele helped me get down from the bed, and then we returned to the waiting room. Trevor, Sarah and James came over to us.

"How is he?' Trevor asked anxiously.

"He'll be fine," Station Officer Steele assured him, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "No broken ribs. Just some bruising."

Trevor breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Can we go home now?"

"Yes."

…

By the end of the week, I'd made a full recovery from my ordeal. During that time, the council had inspected the entire property, and declared the cottage to be safe. However, an old coal mining shaft was found under the garden, so the council spent two days filling it in. I spent that time resting at home, and spending time with my family.

As soon as the council had ensured that Penny's garden was safe, I got back to work. Trevor, Sarah and James kindly helped me, and before long, we had the garden cleaned up, and looking like a quintessential picturesque cottage garden. Of course, since Penny had been staying with Charlie and Bronwyn, she had no idea that we were still working on her garden. That's what prompted me to surprise her when she returned home on Saturday afternoon.

James stood on look-out duty by the garden gate, while Sarah and I quickly set up a deck chair in the middle of the finished garden. I was wearing a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses as part of the surprise.

"She's coming!" James announced, and he quickly closed the garden door.

"Quick! Take a drink you two," I instructed as I sat down in the deck chair. Hearing Trevor's bus stop outside, I tried to look as relaxed as possible.

"Well, yes, perhaps you can," Penny was saying to Trevor as she opened the garden gate and walked through it. Trevor was right behind her. "It's absolutely…" She paused in surprise as she looked around at her finished garden. "…Absolutely beautiful!"

Chuckling, I put my sunglasses on top of my head. "You can keep your Costa del Sol!" I quipped. "It's Costa del Ponty for me, every time!"

"Welcome home, Penny!" Sarah and James said in unison.

"Oh! Wow! Thank you so much! I can't believe you've managed to finish it."

Neither can I! "I'm just glad you like it. And, I must say, I'm more than looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow."

"Yes, Sam," Penny agreed. "Somehow, I don't think holidays really agree with you."

"You can say that again!"

THE END

*AN: Porthcawl is a holiday resort town in South Wales.