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

Chapter 24

Something was tugging at my right arm. I whimpered as a spasm of pain shot from my wrist up my arm.

"Shh… It's all right, Sam," a feminine voice soothed. "I'm just bandaging your wrist. It's not broken. Just badly sprained."

I opened my eyes. I was lying in a hospital bed, with an I.V. line now running into my left arm. When did they put that in? I wondered. It must have been while I was asleep. It's strange that I didn't feel it. Ow! My wrist might as well be broken given how much it hurts.

The nurse finished bandaging my wrist. I tried to sit up, but she stopped me. "Lie still. You could feel dizzy if you sit up too quickly with a concussion."

With a tired sigh, I settled back down. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Just over an hour. You have some visitors waiting to see you. Would you like me to send your grandfather in first?"

"Yes, please!"

The nurse went over to the doorway. "Mr Jones? Sam's awake, so you may see him now."

I tried to sit up again as granddad entered the room. "S'mae, tad-cu."

"S'mae Sam. Sut wyt ti?"

"Wedi blino."

The nurse pushed me back down onto the bed. "If you try to get up one more time, I'll strap you down to that bed."

"Sorry." I sank back down onto the pillows. "Who else is here to see me?"

"Your lecturer and a fireman," the nurse replied. "Would you like to see them now?"

"I suppose so."

While the nurse went to fetch my other visitors, I looked up at granddad.

"So, what's been going on?"

"Quite a lot, actually. As far as I know, they're still putting out the fire. Oh, and the rest of the family are on their way. They should be here soon."

"Oh. I was hoping to go home tonight, but the nurse said I couldn't."

Granddad fondly stroked my hair. "I know. But you need to stay here so that the doctors and nurses can monitor you during the night. You know it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to concussion."

"Yeah," I replied with a despondent sigh. "What time is it?"

"Just after five."

The nurse returned then, with Mr Robinson and Station Officer Michaels.

"Well, Sam! You've gone and outdone yourself this time!" Station Officer Michaels said sternly.

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

He held up a copy of the evening newspaper. There, on the front cover, was a photo of Leading Fireman McArthur carrying me out of the burning building with the headline, 'Heroic Student Saves Hundreds of Lives.'

Station Officer Michaels handed the newspaper to granddad, who immediately began reading it.

"I just did what you taught me," I told Station Officer Michaels. "I hope I didn't do anything wrong? I don't even know if everyone made it out alive…"

"Whoa! Relax, Sam!" Station Officer Michaels soothed. "I can assure you that everyone made it out safely. A few people needed to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries, but as far as I'm aware, you are the most seriously injured."

"Oh." Then, I realised something. "Granddad said they were still putting out the fire. If you're here…?" I let the question linger, unasked.

Station Officer Michaels smiled. "It's okay, Sam. My teams contained the fire, before we handed over to teams from other brigades. Everyone was exhausted, so we left. A specialist team from HAZMAT have taken over, along with fire investigators. And, for the record, you did absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, I would've done exactly the same as what you did. You attempted to put the fire out while it was still small, but when that failed, you helped to evacuate the room. Then, when you saw that your teacher here had failed to evacuate the building, you triggered the smoke alarm."

Mr Robinson looked abashed. "Yes, I must admit that, in my panic, I forgot all about the smoke alarms. Thank you for triggering them, Sam. You saved everyone's life."

I felt my cheeks flushing red with embarrassment, but Mr Robinson didn't seem to take any notice as he continued speaking.

"I've had a word with the Dean and Chancellor, and they've both agreed that, since we can't finish the exam, everyone will receive a credit for it."

"Thank you, sir," I whispered tiredly in reply. "I really appreciate that."

"And I'm putting you in for a commendation," Station Officer Michaels said.

"I don't want any rewards, sir. I just did what you told me to do. I'm tired. Can I go back to sleep now, please?"

"Sure, Sam," granddad agreed. "I'll wake you when your parents get here."

Relieved, I rolled over onto my left-hand side, and I settled down to sleep. However, I heard granddad stand up, and he went over to Mr Robinson and Station Officer Michaels.

"Sorry about Sam. I…"

"It's all right, Mr Jones," I heard Station Officer Michaels reply. "I understand that he's exhausted."

"I'll have to see if the university can offer him an award as well," Mr Robinson muttered.

"Look, I appreciate you wanting to reward him, but can it wait until he's feeling better, please?" granddad asked. "Right now, the most important thing to me is his health."

"Of course," Mr Robinson agreed. "We'd better go now."

"Yes," Station Officer Michaels agreed. "We can talk more later."

And they left.

…

It had been a quiet day in Pontypandy. Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele were grateful for that. It wasn't easy to manage with just the two of them, but they did the best they could. It seemed that firemen were in short supply these days, because although they needed another hand, HQ weren't able to spare anyone.

Fireman Steele turned on the TV before sitting down in his favourite armchair. Station Officer Boyce joined him just as the news came on.

"Good evening," the presenter began. "We begin with breaking news out of Cardiff this evening. Shortly after three o'clock this afternoon, a fire completely engulfed the Grade Two listed Chemistry Building at Cardiff University. Our reporter, Lewis Harper, is currently at the scene. Lewis, can you tell us more about what happened?"

The footage changed to show the middle-aged Caucasian reporter, standing outside the Chemistry Building. The fire was out, but HAZMAT teams and fire investigators were milling around outside. Floodlights lit up the blackened building.

"Yes, as you can see behind me, the HAZMAT teams and fire investigators are still at the scene. They're trying to establish exactly how this fire started. It's understood that the fire began in one of the chemistry labs during a practical exam. The good news is that, miraculously, everyone made it out safely."

"Was anyone injured?" the presenter asked.

"Yes, we understand that there were some minor injuries, which occurred when the students and teachers panicked trying to get out, and several students were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. But many of the witnesses are praising the heroics of one particular student, Sam Jones, who set off the fire alarm after his teacher apparently forgot to."

Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele exchanged stunned glances.

"He did say, 'Sam Jones', didn't he?" Fireman Steele asked.

"Yes, he did. Shh!"

The footage had now changed to a close-up of a male student. "I was in an exam, and I smelt a bit of smoke, and I wondered where it was coming from. Then, the fire alarms went off. They're only new, and we'd never had a fire drill before, so everyone panicked. I was one of the first to make it out of the classroom, and I saw a red-headed boy standing near the fire alarm. Then, there was a stampede as everyone tried to get out of the building at once. I was sort of swept up in the crowd, but I made it out okay."

Fireman Steele stared at the screen as the footage changed to show a red-headed boy being carried out of the building by a fireman. The fireman was wearing full BA gear. Even though the boy was covered in smoke and coughing badly, Fireman Steele knew at once that it was Sam.

"Great tangled hoses!" he exclaimed. "That's definitely Sam!"

"I saw the Jones family leave town about an hour ago," Station Officer Boyce remarked. "Now we know why."

"I hope Sam's okay…"

…

Grandad shook me gently. "Sam? Wake up. Your parents are here."

With a sleepy moan, I reluctantly opened my eyes. Mum was leaning over me, fondly stroking my hair.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked tenderly.

I rolled over onto my back before I answered. "Still tired. I wish everyone would stop waking me up."

"We have to, Sam, because of your concussion," mum explained. "Are you hungry? It's dinnertime."

"We picked up some pizza on our way here," Charlie said as he came over to my bed.

"Did you get pepperoni?" I asked eagerly as I sat up. Forgetting that I'd injured my wrist, I put some of my weight on it. "Ouch!" I whimpered, and I clutched my wrist to my chest.

"Careful, Sam," mum admonished.

"Yes, we got pepperoni especially for you," Bronwyn said, answering my question. She brought it over to me.

"Brilliant! Thank you so much! I'm starving!" And I promptly began devouring the pizza. "What time is it?" I asked between mouthfuls.

"Almost six o'clock," grandad answered. "Would anyone like to watch the news?"

"Sure," I replied. "I want to see if the fire made it onto the news."

Grandad turned on the TV. We watched the end of a game show for a few minutes, before the news came on. We munched contently on our pizza as we watched the same news bulletin that Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele were watching at the same time in Pontypandy. I stopped eating when I saw the footage of myself being carried out of the building in Leading Fireman McArthur's arms. Nobody spoke until the news story changed to another event. Grandad turned the volume to mute.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sam," dad told me firmly. "We're just amazed by your bravery."

Embarrassed, I felt my cheeks flush. Grandad laughed.

"My, my! I think our little hero is embarrassed!"

"No, I'm not!" I protested. "Look, it's no big deal. I don't see why everyone's making such a fuss."

"It's not everyday someone from Pontypandy gets on the national news, Sam," Bronwyn pointed out. She was sitting in the corner, feeding Sarah and James some baby food.

I looked up at mum. "Does everyone really think that I'm a hero?"

She nodded, as did dad, grandad and Charlie. With a tired sigh, I pushed aside the remains of my pizza. "I want to sleep again."

"Okay, sweetie," mum soothed as I settled down under the sheets. "We'll wake you again in about an hour."

"I'll have the rest of his pizza," grandad said, reaching out to remove the box from my bed.

Charlie scoffed. "You're as bad as him! How could anyone eat pepperoni? Yuck!"

"Well, you eat anchovies," grandad countered. "That's even worse."

"Quiet, you two," mum scolded. "Sam needs to sleep."

"Diolch, mam," I muttered.

…

I was discharged from hospital early the following morning. Grandad drove me home. As we passed the university, I saw that the burned-out Chemistry Building was still taped off, and that HAZMAT and the fire investigators were still on site, along with several media crews.

Upon our arrival back at grandad's house, we found Charlie reading through the morning newspapers.

"Guess what?" Charlie teased. "You're famous, Sam!"

I saw a few of the local newspapers laid out on the kitchen table. I took a moment to read the headlines. 'Fire Engulfs University', 'Student Fire Cadet Saves Lives', 'Hero Fireman Sam Raises Alarm' and, 'University Not Prepared for Fire'.

"I like this one," Charlie said, pointing to the 'Hero Fireman Sam Raises Alarm' headline. "I think I'll call you Fireman Sam from now on."

"I'm not a fireman, Charlie," I pointed out. "I'm just a Fire Cadet."

Charlie shrugged indifferently. "Same thing."

"I think I'll go upstairs and study for my next exam."

"You're not planning to go to your next exam, are you?" mum asked, surprised.

"I have to, or I'll fail the course. It's not until Monday morning. I'll be fine by then, mum."

"We were planning to come to Pontypandy on Thursday," grandad explained. "He'll be fine from now on, as you can see." And he rubbed my back affectionately.

"Well, I suppose there's no need for us to stay," dad mused.

"I agree," Bronwyn said. "Charlie and I need to get the kids home."

"Very well, then," mum reluctantly agreed. "We'll go now. What time should we expect you on Thursday?"

"I'll phone and let you know," grandad replied. "Thanks for coming so quickly yesterday. I was as worried as you were about Sam."

Charlie chuckled as he walked past me, heading towards the stairs. He was carrying the newspapers. "Fireman Sam… I can't wait to show this to everyone back home!"

"Don't you dare, Charlie!" I yelled as I pounced on him. Charlie managed to shake me off, and he bolted upstairs. "Charlie! Charlie, please don't tell anyone!"

Charlie closed the door to the guest bedroom in my face. "Go and study! Mum will be furious if you fail your exam."

Sighing in defeat, I made my way to my own room, and I sat down at my desk in a huff.

…

On Monday morning, I arranged for grandad drop me off at the university an hour before my exam. I wanted to spend a bit of time looking at the remains of the Chemistry Building before I made my way to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

When I arrived, I found that the whole building was still taped off with security guards patrolling the area. I went over to the tape to get a closer look at the charred external walls of the historical stone building. A security guard stepped closer, and I realised he was trying to get a look at my face.

"You're the boy who triggered the alarm, aren't you?" he asked loudly.

I nodded slightly. "I just wanted to see how bad the fire was."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're doing okay now. You were very lucky to get out alive."

"I know."

"Hey! That's the boy who saved everyone last week!" I heard someone shout behind me.

Turning, I saw at least three groups of reporters coming towards me. They held their cameras up, ready to snap some photos.

"Just stay there, kid!" one of them called out. "That's a perfect pose for the newspapers!"

Realising that they were intending to publish the photos in the newspapers, I promptly took off running.

"Hey, kid! Come back here!"

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the reporters were now running after me. I immediately increased my pace. Up ahead, I saw a flight of five descending stairs. I managed to gather myself just in time, and I did a running leap over the entire flight of stairs. Landing neatly, I kept running.

Minutes later, I burst inside the Arts building and I collided with something soft.

"Whoa! Steady on there, Sam!" It was Mr Lloyd, my Welsh History lecturer.

"Sorry, sir!" I gasped. "There's a group of reporters chasing me. They're trying to take my photo for the newspapers."

"I see. Go and hide in my office. I'll take care of them."

As I made my way around the corner to Mr Lloyd's office, I saw him pick up an emergency phone in the foyer.

"Get me security, please."

My Lloyd joined me in his office a few minutes later.

"Don't worry, Sam. Those reporters won't bother you again. Security has dealt with them, and they've agreed to give you an escort when you leave here."

"Thank you, sir. Is there anywhere quiet where I may study until the exam?"

"Sure. There's a little study nook just around the corner. Would you like a drink of water?"

"Yes, please. And thank you."

"Think nothing of it. You're a hero, so we're more than happy to look out for you now."

Am I never going to rid myself of this 'hero' status?

…

On Wednesday evening, grandad dropped me off at the fire station for my final Fire Cadet training session before I returned to Pontypandy for the summer holidays. My wrist had almost healed by then, so I'd removed the bandage earlier that morning. Leading Fireman McArthur grinned when he saw me enter the locker room.

"Glad to see that you've made a speedy recovery, Sam."

"Thank you for rescuing me," I replied.

"That's all right. It's what we're here for."

"I hear that the Chief Fire Officer is coming for the watch changeover," another fireman announced. "So, make sure your uniform is in perfect order before you go downstairs."

"I think we all know why he's coming," Simon muttered spitefully. Everyone immediately looked at me. Embarrassed, I grabbed my station uniform out of my locker, and I hurried into the bathroom to change.

Minutes later, we were all standing in a neat row downstairs in the appliance bay for rollcall. Sure enough, the district Chief Fire Officer was there wearing his dress uniform. He stood with Station Officer Michaels and Sub-Officer Smithers, facing the rest of us.

After the roll had been called, and Sub-Officer Smithers had given the announcements, Station Officer Michaels took a step forward.

"As I'm sure you're all aware by now, last Thursday afternoon, we responded to a chemical fire at Cardiff University. Upon entering the building, Leading Fireman McArthur found Fire Cadet Jones on the stairs, and he carried him to safety. Later, it emerged that Fire Cadet Jones had not only raised the alarm, he'd also attempted to put out the fire, and he told some others who'd become lost in the smoke how to avoid it. Despite some minor injuries, Fire Cadet Jones is here with us today to receive a commendation personally from the Chief Fire Officer. Please step forward, Fire Cadet Jones."

I stepped out of the line. Smiling, the Chief Fire Officer came over to me, and he pinned a silver medal to my uniform. He also handed me a framed certificate before we saluted each other.

"Well done, Fire Cadet Jones," the Chief Fire Officer said. "I look forward to seeing more of you in the future."

"Thank you, sir." And I stepped back into line. White Watch politely applauded me as the Chief Fire Officer returned to his place beside Station Officer Michaels.

"All right, Smithers," Station Officer Michaels said once the applause had died down. "Dismiss the men."

"White Watch! To your duties, fall out!"

After we'd been dismissed, Station Officer Michaels came over to me. "Sam? Go and put your medal and certificate in your locker, and then join myself and Simon over at the smoke room. You're going to learn how to use BA sets today."

"Yes! Finally!" I exclaimed excitedly, before I dashed away up the stairs.