Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.

Chapter 11

There! That should do, I thought as I stood back to admire my handiwork. I'd built a nice little campfire on the floor at the base of my bed, and now I was ready to light it. I took a match out of the box, and I struck it. Then, I tossed the lit match into the centre of the woodpile. Hopefully, this should stop the pwca tonight. I saw a few sparks, but then the fire appeared to go out. Disappointed, I was about to strike another match, when I heard voices approaching out in the hallway. I quickly covered the wood with some of my dirty clothes before I dived into bed.

After a moment, mum entered my room. "I forgot to look at your ankle."

"It's fine now, mum," I replied.

Mum sat down on the edge of my bed, and she pulled my covers down. "Are you sure?" she asked as she gently lifted my ankle onto her lap.

I nodded. "I can walk on it again now."

Mum unwound the bandage, before she gently manoeuvred my foot in different directions. "Hmm… Well, in that case, you can go back to school tomorrow."

"Okay, mum," I muttered sleepily. Then I yawned.

Mum tucked me in, and she planted a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight, sweetie. I love you."

"Night, mum."

Smiling, mum left my room, turning out the light and closing the door softly behind her. I settled down to sleep.

…

Fireman Steele's POV

It had been a quiet day in Pontypandy, despite the chaotic events of the night before with young Sam Jones. The boy was a pest, that was for sure, but even I had to admit that something strange had happened to him. While I couldn't put it down to myths and legends, I did suspect that he might have seen something that was either natural or supernatural. I'd never seen him so worked up about anything, so there must have been some element of truth to his story. Whatever it was, I was just glad that Lucas and I hadn't found it.

I had just clocked on for the night shift, when I saw Station Officer Boyce's temporary replacement arriving on foot.

"Fireman Briggs reporting for duty from Newtown, sir." And he saluted me.

"Pleasure to meet you, Briggs," I replied. "You can relax. We're only a small country fire station here, so you can drop the formalities."

Briggs visibly relaxed. "Thank you, sir."

I offered him my hand in welcome. "I'm Acting Station Officer Steele. Normally, I'm the Lead Fireman. You'll find Fireman Lucas inside, cooking our dinner. Things are rather quiet around here, so after you've had dinner, you may go upstairs and rest in the dorm."

"Right, thank you, sir."

After we'd eaten, I went into Station Officer Boyce's office to file away some paperwork I'd completed from my last shift. I knew it would take me a few hours to do, but the night shift was a good time to do it. It was quiet, and there wasn't much chance of an emergency. At least I hoped there wouldn't be.

It must've been about 10:30pm by the time I'd finished filing, so I went to join the others upstairs in the dorm. They were already asleep, so I quietly took off my shoes and settled down on my designated bed to sleep.

I felt like I'd only just gone to sleep, when I was awoken abruptly by the alarm going off downstairs. I instinctively leapt out of bed, and I slipped my shoes back on. Lucas and Briggs followed suit, and we skilfully slid down the fireman's pole in an orderly manner. I darted inside the office, where I retrieved the printout from the telefax machine.

"Fire at the Jones' house, Newtown Road!"

We scrambled into Jupiter with Lucas at the wheel. "All present and correct, sir," Lucas said to me.

"Right, let's go."

Briggs activated the siren as Lucas drove Jupiter out of the garage. During our journey to the Jones' house, I mentally prepared myself for what we might expect to find. Smoke alarms weren't compulsory, and I knew that, like most people in Pontypandy, the Jones' didn't have one.

I just hope they all managed to get out safely. "When we get there, Briggs, I want you to keep everyone back, and ensure that everyone is out. Lucas, I want you in BA, and get the hoses ready."

"Understood, sir," both men replied in unison.

I drew in a deep breath when I saw the orange glow on the horizon. When we drew closer, I saw a small crowd gathered out on the road, well away from the burning house. I breathed a small sighed of relief when I recognised David, Mary and Tomos in the crowd. Mary was screaming and crying hysterically.

As soon as Jupiter had come to a stop, Lucas and Briggs leapt into action. I hurried over to the Jones'.

"Is anyone still inside?"

"YES!" Mary screamed frantically. "Sam's still in his room! We couldn't get him out!"

I was already running back to Jupiter to collect my BA equipment. There wasn't a moment to lose. As soon as I'd handed my BA tag over to Briggs, I grabbed a fire extinguisher and I dashed inside the burning building.

Inside, the house was like a furnace. I knew I didn't have much time left to rescue Sam. Luckily, the stairs weren't alight yet, so I ran up them, taking them two at a time. I dowsed the flames in the hallway with the extinguisher, creating a path for me to walk through safely. Sam's bedroom door was closed, so I kicked it in.

I was greeted with a wall of flames and an intense flashover. Ducking, I extinguished the flames with the extinguisher as best I could.

"Sam! Sam, where are you?"

I saw a figure lying motionless on the bed, which amazingly wasn't alight yet. Dropping the extinguisher, I hurried over to the bed. It was Sam, but he didn't respond to my touch. However, I could see that he was still breathing, so I quickly wrapped one of his blankets around him and I lifted him into my arms.

Once we were out in the hallway, I felt Sam start to stir. Tightening my grip, I hurried back down the stairs. Lucas was doing his best to fight the fire and keep the stairs clear enough for me to descend. Just as I reached the bottom step, I heard the timber support beams starting to snap and splinter overhead.

"Evacuate, Lucas!" I shouted urgently. "The ceiling's going to cave it at any moment!"

I ran outside into the fresh air, carrying Sam tightly in my arms. Lucas followed me out, still trying to dowse the fire with water from the hose. We'd just made it outside when the ceiling went, sending a shower of sparks flying in all directions. I sank down on one knee, shielding Sam with as much of my body as I could. I knew my uniform would protect me to some degree from the flames.

When the flames had settled, I turned my attention to Sam. Miraculously, he wasn't burnt at all, but he was completely unresponsive. Knowing that he was suffering from smoke inhalation, I removed my face mask, and I placed it firmly over Sam's small face.

Come on, Sam! Please, wake up…

…

Sam's POV

The first thing I was aware of was the cold. I felt like I was lying out in the middle of a frozen lake.

"Sam! Sam! Is he okay?"

Why is mum screaming? And what's on my face?

"He's going to be fine, Mary. He's not burnt, but he is suffering from smoke inhalation. We need to get him to hospital, fast."

"Yes, of course. Can I use your radio? I'll send of an ambulance."

"It'll take too long to get here. Can someone run to the far house, and phone Dr Roberts? Get him to bring some oxygen canisters with him."

I wish everyone would stop yelling so I can sleep…

"Is he breathing?" I heard Charlie ask anxiously.

"Yes, but he's unconscious," Fireman Steele replied gently. "See if you can get him to wake up."

I felt Charlie take hold of my right hand. "Sam? I know you probably can't hear me, but you need to wake up. Please. Everyone's so worried about you…"

"That's it, Charlie," I heard dad whisper. "You're doing a great job."

I felt a tear land on my hand. Charlie's crying. Why is he crying? I slowly blinked open my eyes, and I looked around. At first, all I could see was a brilliant orange glow. But then, I saw Fireman Steele, Charlie, granddad and dad all staring down at me. They breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Good job, Charlie," granddad praised.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" Fireman Steele asked me kindly. He lifted the mask a couple of inches away from my face so I could answer.

"What happened?" I asked, completely confused.

"The house caught fire," Charlie replied sadly. "We couldn't get you out. Fireman Steele rescued you." Charlie glanced gratefully at Fireman Steele.

Fireman Steele rescued me? But why would he after all the practical jokes I've played on him? A lone tear slid down my cheek. Charlie saw it, and he wiped it away.

"Please, don't cry, Sam. You're safe now. Fireman Steele said that you need to go to hospital, so mum's phoning Dr Roberts now."

I shook my head. "I don't want to go to hospital. I feel okay."

"Nevertheless, you do need to be checked over," Fireman Steele told me firmly. "You were unconscious for quite some time."

"I fell asleep…" I gasped softly as it suddenly dawned on me what must've happened. The match! Maybe it didn't go out, and it set fire to my clothes after I fell asleep. Feeling a sickening pang of guilt in my stomach, I started to cry. Oh, daro*! What have I done?

Dad placed a hand on my back as I rolled over onto my left-hand side. That position made me start coughing violently, despite the oxygen I was receiving from the mask. My crying was starting to become hysterical now, as I struggled desperately to breathe between coughs. Fireman Steele rolled me back over onto my back.

"Take it easy, Sam," he soothed. "Just relax and take slow, deep breaths…"

I heard a siren approaching then, and I guessed that it was Dr Roberts. Sure enough, it was. He parked his car as close to me as he could. Mum ran over to us just as he was getting out of the car.

"The fire's spreading to Mr Johnstone's house now!" she exclaimed. She sank to her knees beside me. "How is he?"

"He's awake and talking," Fireman Steele replied.

"Oh, thank goodness!"

"Mr Johnstone told me he was going to stay with his sister for a week in Newtown," dad said. "I believe he left today. It's a shame he's going to return to find that he no longer has a home to return to."

"As long as everyone's made it out alive, that's the main thing," Fireman Steele reminded us. "Now, let's get Sam into Dr Roberts car, so he can get him off to hospital."

"I've already contacted the emergency department," Dr Roberts said as he knelt down beside me. "They're getting ready for him. He'll be given some medication as soon as we arrive, but in the meantime, we need to keep him on oxygen."

The oxygen masks were swapped around. My new one fitted me a lot better, and I found it was a little easier for me to breathe with. I whimpered in protest as Fireman Steele lifted me into his strong arms. Just as he was putting me inside Dr Roberts car, I grabbed hold of his jacket as tightly as I could.

"Sam, you need to let go of Fireman Steele now," mum told me gently as she climbed into the backseat beside me. "We're going to get you to the hospital now, sweetie. They'll be able to give you some medicine so you can breathe on your own again. Keep that mask over your face for now. Good boy."

Fireman Steele gently prised my hand off his jacket. "I'll phone the hospital later for an update." And he closed the car door before I could grab hold of him again.

"Where's Charlie?" I asked.

Mum pulled me closer to herself. "He's staying here with dad. They'll come and visit you later."

Granddad and Dr Roberts got into the front of the car. "I won't put the siren on again until we get to Newtown," Dr Roberts explained as he started up the car. "We need to keep him settled for the journey. If he panics, he could suffer asphyxiation."

"What does that mean, mum?" I asked fearfully.

She hugged me tighter. "It's okay, Sam. Just focus on taking deep breaths. That's it. We'll be there soon."

I tried to concentrate on my breathing, but deep down, I was worried. What on earth have I done? The house has been destroyed, and now we have nowhere to live! I should've made sure that match was out… More tears started streaming down my cheeks. Mum tenderly kissed the top of my head.

"You'll be fine, sweetie. Not long to go now."

"How is he?" granddad asked anxiously.

"I think he's going into shock," mum replied softly.

Dr Roberts kept driving at a steady pace. I closed my eyes, hoping that I would wake up to find that this had all been nothing more than a bad dream.

…

"Sam? Come on, sweetie. Wake up. We're almost at the hospital now."

Whimpering, I slowly blinked open my eyes. The streetlights we passed nearly blinded me, so I squinted.

"Is he awake now?" Dr Roberts asked.

"Yes, but he's still rather drowsy," mum replied. "The sooner he gets that medicine, the better."

"We're almost there." And Dr Roberts activated his siren.

Feeling the car start to slow, I attempted to sit up, but mum held me tight. "Don't move, Sam. You're not wearing a seatbelt."

"I'll park as close to the emergency entrance as I can," Dr Roberts said, and he proceeded to do so. As soon as we'd come to a stop, the siren was cut, and granddad and Dr Roberts got out.

"You attend to Sam," Dr Roberts instructed mum and granddad. "I'll go and inform them that we're here."

Granddad opened to car's back door, and he gently lifted me out. Mum followed, carrying the oxygen canister. I was carried inside the busy emergency department, where we were greeted by a small team of nurses.

"Bring him over here!" one of the nurses called. "We're preparing the medication for him now."

Granddad carried me into a small examination room, and he carefully laid me down on the bed in there. I saw a doctor lean over me while he pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

"I just need to do a quick assessment to establish the severity of his smoke inhalation," the doctor explained to mum and granddad. He removed the stethoscope from around his neck, and he placed the end in his ears. A nurse helped me sit up, so the doctor could listen to my lungs through my back. "Okay, remove the oxygen mask, please. I need to hear how well he's breathing without it."

Mum gently removed the oxygen mask from my face. I immediately started gasping and coughing. The doctor frowned with concern before removing the stethoscope disk from my back.

"How old is he?"

"Eight," granddad replied as I laid down again. I found that I was able to breathe much easier lying down. "He will be okay, won't he?"

"Oh, sure. It's bad, but not life threatening. He'll need to stay here for at least the next five days, for observation. Nurse McGuire? Have you prepped that medication yet?"

The nurse brought over a small canister and another oxygen mask. "Yes, doctor. I've had to guess his weight, so I've given him a little less than what's prescribed, just to be on the safe side."

The doctor nodded his consent for the nurse to proceed. She placed the oxygen mask over my face. Then, she released the valve. I started feeling better almost immediately.

"Are you sure he'll be all right?" granddad asked again.

"I'm positive, sir," the doctor replied patiently. "Children tend to bounce back from these sort of conditions better than adults do. Unless there are complications, I'm willing to bet that he'll be up and running around again by this time next week. Once he's finished inhaling that, we can get him settled in the children's ward."

Mum started crying then. "I don't want to leave him!"

Granddad hugged her. "He'll be all right, Mary," he soothed. "You heard what the doctor said. Sam's strong. He'll make it through this."

I sat up again, and I touched mum's arm. She quickly wiped her tears away, and she bend over so our eyes could meet. "I'm feeling a bit better now, mum," I said, trying to reassure her.

Mum smiled through her tears. "I'm glad. I hope you'll be a good boy for the doctors and nurses, and don't cause any trouble."

With a small gasp, I looked away. I felt sick, knowing that I had most likely caused the fire. I need to tell her. She'll probably kill me, but at least I'll feel better afterwards…

The nurse removed the mask from my face. "Say goodbye to him now," she told mum and granddad. "You may visit him again tomorrow during visiting hours. He'll be in the children's ward."

"Thank you," mum whispered. She placed a kiss on my forehead. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Sam."

"Mum…"

"Yes?"

My lips quivered, and I started to shiver. The nurse placed a warm blanket over my shoulders.

"Lie back down, Sam. You need to rest now."

But I have to tell her about the fire! Exhausted, I did as the nurse instructed. I was too tired to fight anyone. When I looked up again, mum and granddad had gone.

The nurse rubbed some cream on my left forearm. "I'm going to start you on a drip before we move you. The needle will hurt, but that cream will numb your arm enough to stop the worst of the pain."

I just whimpered in response. The doctor fitted a new oxygen mask over my face, and he turned on the air.

"Once Nurse McGuire has fixed up your drip, I want you to try and get some sleep," he told me gently. "You've been very brave, so I'll see to it that you get a special little reward tomorrow."

I gasped when I felt the needle go into my arm. It hurt, but only for a moment. The nurse was still fiddling around with my arm as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

* Welsh, meaning 'damn it!'

Thank you so much for your patience, and for not pestering me to update. I can assure you, this chapter would not have been anywhere near as good as I believe it is if I'd been pressured into rushing it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.