Every Breath I Take
When Sky moved to Propwash Junction, Skipper and Sparky discussed several things regarding how they would raise her, i.e. how she would get her schooling. The closest school was in Sterling, and Sky clearly expressed how much she didn't want to have to take a taxi every day just to get there. Plus, there wasn't a bus that could take her. Soon, Sparky discovered she could be registered as a Sterling School District student and take classes online. Sky enjoyed this, and Sparky and Skipper helped her keep track of her work and stay on top of her classes. Plus, having her own school schedule meant she could have more free time to be with her friends.
Skipper was firm in that she needed a good education, and he wouldn't let her fall behind, even if that meant she had to do her homework during dinner like she did now.
"It's not that hard, Sky." Sparky shrugged, placing a plate of food in front of the fourteen-year-old girl.
"I know. I mean, it shouldn't be that hard." Sky shrugged, tapping her pencil against her notebook. "The assignment is just a report on an important job in my community. I just don't know who to write about, I guess."
"Any idea what your classmates are doing?" Skipper asked.
"Store folks and farmers, it sounds like." Sky said.
Sparky thought for a moment. "Well, is there anybody in Propwash Junction you would want to talk to?"
"I'm sure as heck not going to ask Leadbottom." Sky said. "You think I could ask Dusty?"
"He's still underage." Skipper reminded her. "You ought to ask someone with more experience. Besides, he and most of the farmers are still in the middle of harvesting the crops." He thought about it. "Say, how about Max and Mayday?"
"Max and Mayday?" Sky repeated.
"Firefighters are important to communities." Sparky reasoned.
Sky nodded, beginning to smile. "Yeah! Yeah, I'll talk to them tomorrow."
Mayday and Max were more than happy to help with Sky's report. They invited her over to the firehouse to talk, and they discussed everything from how and why they became firefighters to the different types of firefighting. They even showed Sky their methods in putting out fires. By the end of the talk, Sky knew she had plenty of information to write a good report.
"Thanks again for your help." Sky said, tucking her notebook and pen into her backpack.
"It was our pleasure." Mayday assured.
"Happy to help." Max agreed.
Sky smiled warmly as she shouldered her backpack, but she paused on her way out. She stared at the wall of awards and pictures beside her, and she sighed in awe. "It's all just so amazing. Look at this stuff. It's like you're heroes or something."
Mayday chuckled. "Medals and awards don't mean much. They just mean we were lucky. Actions show bravery."
"Does it take that much bravery to fight fires?" Sky asked. "I mean, you just put water on fire. That doesn't sound so hard."
Max laughed, tousling Sky's hair to her mild chagrin. "It ain't as easy as you think."
"Took me a couple months to get my aim right when I was starting out." Mayday admitted.
Sky smoothed out her hair. "Okay, good point. But is that supposed to mean that you get these medals and awards just for having good aim?"
"We got them for being good firefighters." Mayday corrected.
Sky looked back and forth between the two firefighters, clearly confused. Max laughed again. "See, Sky, being a firefighter is more than just tossing wet stuff on hot stuff to prevent property damage and save lives. To be a firefighter requires an immense amount of bravery. You have to be willing to put others' lives before your own. You have to go into a firefight knowing you might walk away with some serious battle scars; or worse, you may not walk away at all."
Sky listened attentively, awed by Max's words. She couldn't imagine him or Mayday going into a firefight and not walk away from it. They were the best firefighters in the world (at least in her opinion). Surely they didn't get these awards for not doing a good job. The teenager shrugged. "I dunno. I've never been put in that position before."
"Really?" Max raised an eyebrow teasingly.
Sky rolled her eyes. "I mean I've never been in a situation where someone else's life rested in my hands. Sounds kinda dramatic….and scary."
Max pulled her into a side-hug. "Well that's what bein' a firefighter's all about. Most of my family was and still is made up of firefighters. It's a tough job, but worth it."
"You got that right." Mayday nodded in agreement.
Sky looked back to the awards on the wall. She didn't really know what to say. I don't think I really understand, but I know what Mayday and Max do is definitely cool.
As she had hoped/expected, Sky received a perfect A on her report, along with some very nice compliments from the teacher who graded her essay. Sky was happy, but her talk with Max and Mayday still echoed in her head from time to time. She sometimes sat alone with her guitar and pondered Max's description of firefighting. But for some reason, Sky couldn't realistically imagine Max or Mayday doing anything that qualified as "heroic." Though, if she were honest with herself, she didn't really know the true meaning of a hero. Eventually, she decided to just ignore it. She'd figure it out someday.
Time passed. After a successful harvest came a hearty Thanksgiving, and soon a very snowy Christmas followed. With spring came a variety of flowers, and Sparky decided to take Sky to Washington D.C. for her spring break. When she returned, it was back to her normal routine that now included watching the farmers work on planting and observing the new crops. As the weather became warmer, she started going out flying with Dusty more often. Her fifteenth birthday was a blast.
Now, July had come, and a very hot one at that. The farmers of Propwash had to be extra careful that their crops didn't wither from the heat. Of course, the warmth didn't stop Sparky from suggesting a camping trip out in the forest near town. Sky jumped at the opportunity to do some hiking, and she invited Dusty and Chug to join in the fun. Skipper bid Sparky and Sky farewell, wishing them a safe and fun trip.
"Hey all!" Max greeted. He and Mayday currently cleaned the firehouse when Sky, Dusty, Sparky, and Chug passed them. "You look like you're on a mission."
"We're going camping!" Chug cheered, showing off the camping gear loaded in a trailer he dragged behind him.
"Sounds fun." Mayday said. "Where to?"
"Just out in the forest. Maybe by the river." Sparky said.
"Well have fun." Max said. "But no campfires, all right? Mayday and I just sent out a burn ban notice."
"What's a burn ban?" Sky asked.
"It's a time when things like campfires are temporarily forbidden." Mayday explained. "It's fire season, and this has been an exceptionally dry year. That's a perfect mix for a wildfire, and we can't risk that what with the crops already getting dry."
"Okay." Dusty nodded. "We'll just save the s'mores for when we get back."
"Yeah, from the comfort of my mom's stove." Chug laughed. The group bid the firefighters goodbye and continued on. They soon found the perfect spot and set up camp. Soon after, Sky jumped right into the river to swim. She and Chug splashed each other for a while before Dusty had the great idea to hold Sky on his wing and then fling her into the river, much to Sky's delight.
"You know, if Skipper ever saw you doing that, he'd kill all of us." Sparky noted as Sky pulled herself from the water.
Sky giggled, wringing out her hair as water dripped from her shorts and tank top. "Which is why you're not going to tell him."
Sparky chuckled. "I'd remove myself as a witness, but I need to keep an eye on you all."
Chug noticed something in the sky. "Hey, didn't Max say there was a burn ban?"
"Yeah, why?" Dusty asked.
"Well what's that?" Chug gestured to the treetops, and everyone followed his gaze. They noticed a column of smoke rising from the trees, not too far away from them.
"A wildfire?" Dusty guessed worriedly.
"There'd be more smoke, I think." Sky shrugged. "Come on, let's go check it out."
"Maybe we should call Mayday and Max." Sparky suggested.
"Yeah, I can reach them on my radio." Dusty added.
"If we can handle it ourselves, there'll be no need to bother them." Sky protested. "Come on." She continued walking, leaving her shoes behind, and the boys had no choice but to follow her. Sky grabbed the shovel they had brought, knowing they would have to toss dirt onto the fire since they couldn't drop water. After several minutes, they found themselves at a crudely made campsite that had beer and oil cans strewn about the area. A group of teenagers, humans and a couple cars, laughed and talked around a small bonfire.
"That's a big fire." Dusty noted.
"It's not well contained, either." Sky noted, staring anxiously at the flames. "There's no hole dug into the ground and it's not surrounded by rocks or anything like that. The wind's been on and off all day; one gust and it could blow right into the trees."
"I knew all that survivalist training Skipper put you through would come in handy." Sparky chuckled.
Sky rolled her eyes, but put on a serious face again. "Come on." She led the way as they marched into the campsite. "Hey you!"
The teenagers around the fire paused in their conversation and looked to the approaching group. A couple of the teenagers looked quite drunk.
"Hey look!" one of the cars laughed. "It's the psycho!" His friends laughed along with him.
Sky fumed a little. "Psych-man."
"Yeah, whatever." One of the female humans sneered.
Sky sighed, trying to stay calm. "Look, you really aren't supposed to have a fire right now. There's a burn ban."
"It's fine." Another car assured dismissively. "We got it under control."
"I really don't think you do." Sky said. "And there's a burn ban so—"
"Look, why don't you just run along like a good girl?" the first car said. "No need to stick your nose where it don't belong."
Sky growled, clutching the shovel she held tighter. "Put out that fire right now or I'll do it myself!"
"I'll handle this." One of the human boys said, marching over towards Sky. But before he could touch her, Sky took the shovel and smacked the flat of the blade against the boy's nose. The boy fell, clutching his now-bleeding nose, and the other teenagers backed up and away from Sky in fear.
"Sky." Dusty complained. "Was that necessary?"
Sky gave him a look. "Yes."
Before anyone could make another move, a large gust of wind suddenly whipped through the trees. The flames of the campfire blew over to be almost parallel to the ground, and one of the embers hit Sky's shoulder. She yelped in pain, dropping the shovel. Everyone watched as the embers hit one of the trees, and several of the branches immediately caught fire.
"Oh man!" one of the teenagers shouted. "Run!" They took off, abandoning the campsite and Sky, Dusty, Chug, and Sparky.
"Jackwagons!" Sky shouted after them. She picked up the shovel and started tossing dirt onto the campfire. "Dusty, call Mayday! Quick!"
Dusty obeyed, switching to the correct radio station. "Mayday! Come in, Mayday! This is Dusty!"
"I read you, Dusty!" Mayday responded. "What's the problem?"
"We found some teenagers who made a fire." Dusty explained hurriedly. "We tried to put it out, but then the wind picked up and now some if it's in the trees. Can you come put it out?"
"You're not still at that fire, are you?" Mayday asked, panic suddenly coming to his tone.
"Well, yeah." Dusty said. "We're trying to put it out—"
"Get out of there now!" Mayday suddenly shouted, making Dusty jump.
"It's okay!" Dusty assured. "The fire's small and—"
"Dusty, it'll only take a few minutes for a small blaze to become an inferno." Mayday explained hurriedly. "Get away from that fire right now! Max and I are on our way!"
"Roger that." Dusty nodded. He had never heard such a tone of fear, firmness, and urgency from Mayday. "Sky! We gotta get out of here!"
"I'm almost done!" Sky protested, still tossing dirt onto the campfire.
Dusty looked up to see the fire in the trees spreading much faster than he thought it would. "Sky, forget about it! We gotta go!"
Sky noticed the quickly spreading flames, and she dropped the shovel to join the boys as they made a run for it. The fire stayed right on their heels, and another gust of wind managed to push the flames ahead of them.
Already on the way, Max rode on Mayday's water tank and stared at the column of smoke getting larger and larger in the distance. Max wore his usual jeans, hiking boots, and black and red firefighting jacket. But now, he also wore his firefighting helmet over his gray hair, he had an oxygen tank and mask on his back, and he held a pulaski in one hand.
Max unclipped his radio from his pocket, his dark green eyes full of worry. "I'm calling in air support from Sterling. We have to hurry!"
"I am hurrying!" Mayday snapped, putting on more speed. Dusty, wherever you and the others are, just be careful.
Dusty, Sky, Sparky, and Chug tried to not be afraid, but that was kind of hard when they had to run through a forest of flaming trees. The fire almost completely engulfed them. If they didn't get out soon, they'd be killed.
A loud creaking sound rang out, and Sparky pulled Sky back just before a flaming tree could crush them both. Now a large hunk of flaming wood separated them from Dusty and Chug.
"Keep going!" Sparky shouted. "We'll find another way out!"
Dusty coughed from the smoke. "We can't just leave you here!"
"Just go!" Sky urged. Dusty and Chug exchanged a look, but regretfully obeyed as they hurried off. Sparky led Sky another way, hopefully out of the flames. Dusty and Chug kept going, and quite suddenly they found themselves in an open, clear area free of burning trees. They had left the tree line, and—thank Chrysler—Mayday and Max had arrived.
"Dusty!" Max shouted, jumping off Mayday and hitting the ground running. "Chug! You two all right?"
"We're fine." Chug coughed. "But Sparky and Sky are still in there!"
Mayday jumped into action. "Chug, Dusty, you two stick around. Dusty, call for James and Martha." James and Martha were an ambulance and a retired doctor who lived in Propwash Junction, and they often came to help when injuries occurred in town. "Max, think you can find them?"
"Way ahead of you." Max assured, already strapping his oxygen mask to his face.
"You're gonna go in there?" Chug asked worriedly.
"It'll be all right, Chug." Max assured, hooking up Mayday's hoses so the fire truck could pump water onto the flames. As Mayday worked, Max hurried forward and right into the wildfire. Dusty and Chug watched worriedly, praying he would make it out with their friends.
Max found Chug's and Dusty's tracks all right, and he followed them back to the flaming tree that separated them from Sparky and Sky. Max didn't hesitate to leap over the log, landing a little painfully on the other side.
I'm getting too old for this. Max mentally groaned. He took in a breath and lifted the oxygen mask off his face. "Sky! Sparky! Where are you?" He put the mask back on, listening through the crackling flames for an answer. When he heard none, Max growled in frustration and went back to following the tracks. This only proved helpful for about a few minutes before the tracks disappeared from the ash and flames, and Max continued to look around and call for Sparky and Sky.
The next couple minutes that passed felt like centuries, but when Max heard coughing, he froze in his tracks. He listened carefully, following the sound, and when he saw a familiar raven-haired girl he broke into a sprint. He almost collapsed to his knees beside Sky's body, pulling the girl into his lap. Sky looked worse for wear: minor burns on her shoulder, ash smeared across several places on her skin, and she coughed constantly.
"Sky?" Max had to raise his voice to be heard through his oxygen mask. "Sky, you all right?"
Sky finally opened her eyes, but she kept coughing and wheezing. "M-Max…."
"Easy, kiddo." Max said soothingly. "Where's Sparky?"
"I d-don't know…" Sky coughed. "Got s-separated….." She wheezed some more. "I c-c-can't b-breathe….." She broke down into a fit of coughing. Max quickly unclipped his helmet and pulled his oxygen mask off his face. He put the mask over Sky's face, strapping it firmly to her skull.
"Just hang on." Max said, putting his helmet back on. He draped the oxygen mask hose over his shoulder and scooped up Sky bridal style, running off. He put an ear to Sky's chest and neck, nodding in satisfaction to hear her breathing a little more normally. Sky whimpered, her fingers curling around Max's jacket. Max gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Just hang on, Sky. I'm going to get you and Sparky out of here. I promise."
Sky couldn't answer. The sudden rush of oxygen to her brain made her dizzy as the smoke inhalation lingered. But she continued to stare at Max, as the sight allowed her to comfortably relax. Then, her vision began to fail her and everything became blurry. Soon, it all went dark, and Sky slipped away into unconsciousness.
"She's been asleep for so long."
"Doctor said that's to be expected. But she'll be all right."
"You can't blame me for worrying."
"Of course not. I'm worried too. But you know how strong she is."
A soft moan.
"Hey, she's waking up!"
Sky blinked her eyes open, and she found herself back at home in her own bed. Sparky stood next to her bed, and Skipper was close by. They both looked worried, but also very relieved that she finally woke up. Moonlight spilled into the room.
"Dad? Sparky?" Sky rubbed her eyes. Her skin smelled like smoke. "When did I get roasted?"
Sparky chuckled. "Earlier today."
"We were really worried about you." Skipper said. "I heard about the fire and I even saw the smoke from here."
"You should've seen him when I finally brought you home." Sparky chuckled tiredly. "Thought he was going to collapse."
Sky's mouth twitched into a sideways grin. But she noticed Sparky's paint on one side warped and blackened. "Sparky, you're hurt."
"Nah, it's okay." Sparky assured. "You're the one who passed out from smoke inhalation."
Sky inhaled and exhaled a few times, inspecting the red marks on her skin where she was burned. She couldn't remember a lot about her experience in the fire. She felt the pain from getting burned, and the way her lungs felt like fire with every inhale and exhale. It just hurt. It was so scary and painful. If Max hadn't been there…
"Max! And Mayday!" Sky gasped. "Did they take care of the fire?"
Sparky and Skipper shared a look. Skipper cleared his throat. "Yes, they did. Had to call in air support from Sterling's fire department, but they got it out."
Sky sighed in relief. "Good."
"But there is something you should know." Sparky said. "So just listen to me for a few minutes, okay?"
Sky didn't like where this was going. Had Dusty or Chug been injured in the flames? Was the damage more severe than they thought? Did something happen to her? But she only nodded. "Okay."
Sparky took in a breath and let it out slowly. "Did you know that Max had asthma?"
Sky blinked in surprise. "Max doesn't have asthma. Who in their right mind would become a firefighter if they have asthma?"
"I said listen." Sparky reminded her, and Sky shut her mouth. "It may not sound logical, per say, but it's true. Max has had asthma since he was a teenager. But he kept it hidden from a lot of people so they wouldn't worry about him. While we were in that fire, I noticed he had given you his oxygen mask. I was worried, both for you and for him, but he insisted that he was fine. We couldn't escape the fire, however, so Max led us towards the river. He told me we had to stay on the beach until the fire burned over. Wouldn't let me argue about it, so I did what he said." Sparky took in a shaky breath. "The firefighters from Sterling soon came, and they helped to clear a path for us to get back to Mayday. Max carried you the entire way there. When we finally got to Mayday, he passed you off to the paramedics. Then he…he…" Tears built up in Sparky's eyes, and he choked on them.
Sky felt her blood run cold. "Sparky? Where's Max?"
Skipper cleared his throat. "He had to get rushed to the hospital, sweetheart. He's gonna be there for a while."
"Oh." Sky stared at her bed. "But…..he'll be okay, right?"
"We'll see." Skipper said. "But the doctors are remaining hopeful. He's stable for now."
Sky nodded, trying to stomp out her fear. "Okay. He'll be fine, I'm sure. I mean, he's a firefighter. He's pretty tough."
"That's the attitude we're looking for." Skipper said. "Just keep it up."
Sky nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Can we go see Max tomorrow?"
Skipper thought for a moment. "I don't see why not."
"Yeah." Sparky agreed. "He'll be happy to see you."
Sky's smile grew. "I'll be happy to see him too."
Sky had only read about medical conditions like going into shock. But after what Skipper just told her, that's exactly how she felt. Everything was numb inside her, and she didn't really know what she was supposed to do. Then, she took off running, ignoring the fact that she was still in her tank top and shorts and barefoot. Sparky tried to stop her, but Skipper dipped a wing and halted Sparky in his tracks.
"Let her go." Skipper ordered in a soft tone. Sparky sighed in resignation, the two of them staring after Sky sadly.
Sky couldn't register the cool night air nor the pain of her bare soles hitting the asphalt as she ran. She just couldn't understand it. He was in the hospital for a week straight. She talked to him a few days ago and they had a wonderful conversation. He seemed so healthy except for his coughing. How did this happen if he seemed to be getting better?
It took only a few minutes for her to reach the firehouse, and she pulled open the front door and darted inside.
"Mayday!" Sky shouted, running into the garage area. "Mayday!" She discovered Mayday with his bumper to her, the fire truck staring at the wall of awards in the garage. Sky panted heavily. "Mayday? Is it true?"
"Come on in, Skylar." Mayday said, his voice sounding almost congested. He gave a small sniffle, confirming Sky's guess that he had been crying about what just happened. Sky stood frozen at the doorway, unable to move. "Well come on." Mayday encouraged, still not turning to her.
Sky finally found the will to move, and she stepped around Mayday. She followed his gaze to stare at the awards and pictures before them. Some of them awarded Max the honor of valiant actions and heroic deeds. Others were just pictures of Max around the firehouse or on the job. Sky focused on one particular picture of a younger Mayday and Max standing in front of the firehouse. It was Max's first day in Propwash Junction Firehouse, according to Mayday. Max had a warm, grandfatherly grin that usually made Sky want to smile too. But now, it just hurt her.
What was this feeling? Why did she feel like she choked on an invisible noose? Tears forced out of her eyes like turning on a faucet, and she couldn't stop them even if she tried. Sky used to feel this way when she thought about how her parents abandoned her. But she hadn't thought about that in so long. Had she really cared for Max so much that his death would cause this reaction?
Yes, yes she had.
"You and Max are heroes." She told Mayday, her voice soft and trembling. "And I…..I think I'm starting to understand what it means to be a firefighter."
Mayday look to the girl. He scooted over and nuzzled Sky comfortingly. She gasped as her tears flowed, and Mayday shushed her gently. Sky leaned into his touch, trying to control her breathing.
Why did I have to breathe at the cost of you suffocating?
"Do I really have to wear this stupid thing?" Sky complained, her voice muffled by a small oxygen mask over her mouth and nose.
"Yes, now keep it on there." Maru snapped, strapping another mask around Pinecone's mouth. In fact, all the Smokejumpers sported oxygen masks as they lounged in Maru's shop.
"You really should count your blessings." Blade said, watching from his vantage point at the opening of the garage.
"Yeah, sometimes we come back with smoke inhalation and burns." Dynamite pointed out. "It's just part of the job."
Sky rolled her eyes, but didn't dare remove the mask from her face lest Maru duct tape it to her head. She focused more on her breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. As she did, she thought back to that fire years ago that killed Max. Every time Sky had to wear an oxygen mask like she did now, she ended up thinking about how Max selflessly gave her his own mask so she wouldn't suffocate from the smoke. Even when he knew he would die from the smoke inhalation and his asthma, he sacrificed his access to life-giving air so Sky could have it instead. Sky had long since accepted Max's death and heroic actions. If anything, now she felt honored that Max was willing to give up his own ability to breathe so that she could survive that fire.
"What's that, Raven?" Maru asked, having heard Sky whisper something under her breath.
Sky shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking."
I hope you are watching, Max. Every breath I take, you gave me.
