ZPFD - Ch 4 "Memories"

A/N: Someone pointed out to me that ZPFD should be ZFD instead because ZPD stands for Zootopia Police Department. To that i say, yes, i do realize that now, but... ZPFD just sound nicer dosen't it? I think so at least...

I can't thank Venomheart the Dreamer enough, not only have you left a review, (Nice reviews get me higher than crack and lsd combined) but also left me tips on how to improve, where to improve and so on.

Yes, I admit, i spelled Lieutenant wrong.

I noticed I made an error concerning the age of Carl and Houston, i fixed it no worries.

*A watch Manager has the Rank of Lieutenant.


"Sooo, why did you want to become a firefighter? I've never bothered to ask since I thought it was obvious, but i'm interested if you had some special reason as to why," Houston asked his friend.

"Hm, it kinda started seventeen years ago, when i was five years old, I was in kindergarten in tundratown, let me tell you"

Waking up, Carl rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he stood up.

There was no-one there, all he could remember was that everybody was tucked in for their nap-time, but now it seemed to Carl as if they were pulling a cruel joke on him.

"He-hello?" Carl whimpered out towards the door that was ajar.

As Carl slowly made his way over to the door he could smell something, it reminded him of his dad's failed attempt at baking a sponge cake (google it).

Only this smell was more pungent, the more Carl smelled it the more out of breath he felt. It started aching in his lungs with every breath he took.

Ignoring his natural instinct to retreat back into the nap-room Carl pulled the door open a bit more, enough for him to squeeze through. The smell became stronger and stronger. Now he could see smoke billowing out of the teacher's break-room. It had flooded the ceiling like water would flood into a bucket if you pushed the bucket's edge into the water.

It got hard to breathe, really hard. Before it had been just a slight Ache, now it was like your lungs were being assaulted by a million pinpricks. Coughing loudly and with eyes tearing up Carl ran back into the nap-room and curled himself up in the faraway corner of the room, farthest away from the door.

As the minutes went on he could feel the temperatures inside the room starting to rise, the room was half-filled with smoke, it only be a matter of minutes before the entire room would be engulfed in the toxic, horrid black mass.

Meanwhile outside the kindergarten the teacher had assebmled all the kids that were inside, she was counting them and ticking off their name in her list.

"Where's Carl?" Her expression changed from stern focus to a panicked fear.

Running as fast as her legs would carry her, the teacher, Mrs. Fazio, an elderly badger, sprinted towards the Watch Manager*, the on-site Commander.

"THERE'S A CUB STILL IN THERE!" Mrs. Fazio Shouted with all of her strentgh, wich was surprisingly loud and unexpected from such a sweet-looking elderly mammal.

The Watch Manager turned to face badger, on his firefighter's-tunic a golden badge was pinned, Lituenant Bosede it read.

"Can you tell us were exactly?" The elephant asked with high interest while waving over two other firefighters, smokedivers.

"They were all in the nap-room," Mrs. Fazio pointed it out on the building plan while continuing to speak, "When the stovetop started to catch fire, i think one of the staff must've left it on by accident,"

"I'll send a team in to get that kid don't you worry miss" Bosede's look on his face was one of unbreakable determination.

"Rex! Stoltzman! Get in there and find that kid before the fire does!" Bosede bellowed at the two firefighters, one a deer and the other a hog.

"On it Watch!" They both replied in unison before stepping up their pace towards the entrance to the kindergarten.

Carl had resorted to try and breathe through his shirt as a means to stop the smoke from entering his airways, when this didn't work Carl decided the best plan of action was to yet again crawl up into the corner with a plush and accept the inevitable.

That's when he heard loud pawsteps outside the door, there were a few muffled words before the door was kicked up completely, knocking it off it's hinges smashing into the floor with a violent, ear-piercing wham.

Carl froze in fear as the two masked mammals approached him, with slow, laboured breathing. His brain had decided it was time to go into power-save as Carl remained in a curled up ball.

He felt something plastic against his muzzle, he took a breath, air, delicous air. His muscles relaxed a bit and then he finally dozed off.

"Woah," Was all that Houston could manage to say.

"Yeah, and since that day when I almost died, only to be rescued by firefighters I knew what I was going to grow up to be.

Houston had finished his saldad, while Carl was only about halfway done with his smoked salmon sandwich.

"Your turn," Carl told Houston.

"My turn?" Houston pointed his hoof at himself.

"It's only fair, i told you my life story, tell yours" Carl informed the Horse in front of him, looking at him with a serious expression.

"I was uh, well not the nicest person when I was young, you see, I was a..." Houston trailed off.

"You were a what?" Carl asked again, growing slightly impatient.

"I was a pyromaniac okay?" Houston blurted out. "I liked to set stuff on fire, it started with small things such as crumpled papers, then trash bins, and then I..." Houston paused for a moment, he kept looking down at the same spot on the table. "I accidentaly burned someone's house down when i was 14," a small sob could be heard from Houston.

Taking a small break Houston then continued.

"I got arrested for arson and to go trough months of therapy and even more community service, during those months of community service i helped people who had lost their homes, I felt responsible for what they were suffering through,"

Houston went to rub his eyes and took a sip out of his drink.

All Carl could do was gape, tounge lolled out. He didn't expect THAT from Houston.

"Dude I didn't..." Carl was interrupted by Houston holding up his hoof signaling him to stop.

"There's more, after I got out of therapy and Community service i felt so bad for those who had lost their homes, since that day i've sworn to stop the things I once started."

Houston had finished, "Oh and also, I had to pay a LOT of cash, I'm still paying off some of those fines to this day, and I'm 22 years old now! I was 14 back then!"

Carl hopped off his booster seat and onto the table, extending his paw and placing it on Houston's shoulder.

He took a deep breath.

"Well, if that was your goal, mission accomplished." Carl felt proud for his friend that seemed to have suffered through a lot.

"Hey! We are jsut about to become firefighters! That only like, half the mission!" Houston shot at him with a now more happy tone.

Carl picked up his phone, glancing at the clock.

"Speaking of becoming firefighters, we need to go, like now!" Carl tugged at his friends shirt while slapping two twenties on the table.

"How long do we have?" Houston asked as the two were sprinting towards the ZPFD HQ.

"Ten minutes!" Carl replied back.

Ten minutes til' graduation.