Fireman Sam SAM&PENNY ONE-SHOTS

Wild Race

The sun was rising higher and higher over the horizon when all firefighters gathered together in the meadow to prepare everything for today's Pontypandy Wild Race.

"The event has been taking place at Pontypandy, and at Newtown too, since the most distant ages. It is also a part of a tradition that everybody wwho was born at Pontypandy should at least once in their lives participate in the race" Mrs.Chen started a leture for a class near the group of firefighters.

"Could children also take part in it, Mrs Chen?" One of students raised its hand to ask a question.

"Of course, James" the teacher replied, grateful that at least one student paid attention to what she was saying. "This tradition hasn't been changed yet."

In the meantime, the firefighters got their jobs to do and they split up. Arnold and Elvis were signed up for putting the signs in the forest and Ellie were suppossed to stay at the start and later got to the end, just to make sure everything there would be safe and sound.

"I wasn't taught at school such things as the kids nowadays" Sam complained theatrically, whispering it to Penny's ear while they were walking towards Station Officer Steele.

"Times are changing, sweetheart" she let herself named Sam a nickname presented only to their ears, but they still kept their faces straight.

"So we still need to decide who will be running this year?" Station Officer Steele asked when his fellow team leaders finally came. "We need the quickest and most experienced one of us this year, because I don't want to let the flag disappeared from our wall once more." the flag was a trophe that was giving by last winner to next winner.

"Ellie is the fastest, sir" Penny invented.

"But somehow she was even surpassed by Mike Flood last year" Stattion Officer Steele reminded.

"I guess you ask us here, because you see one of us as a representation of rescue workers? Don't the rest of our career branch" Sam made a sign of quote in the air "also can run?"

"They didn't want to when I asked them" the elder man answered.

'And when have you asked them about it, sir' Penny asked herself in thoughts. She suspected before she would be promoted to role of a runner this year after last year's failture. And it was no chance Sam could take her place. Both of them knew how stubborn their captain could be when it went to such kind of events and they had already failed few times, so this needed to be really the best candidate.
Sam was a great firefighter, he liked to run, but he wasn't fast on the long distances such as Pontypandy Wild Race. Station Officer Steele had seen her "talent" a few times on Three-legged Race. She and Sam made a great group together. But in this race it was only one person and...

"It should be you Penny" Station Officer Steele's announcement brought her back to reality. "Of course, if you agree?"

"With pleasure, sir" she answered politely, but something inside her told her it was a bad idea. She remembered that painful pain after a fall between the flames on one mission a week ago. Her burn healed and there was no sign left, but sometimes Penny, after being on feet too long, felt her ankle throbbed. "I will be on the start."

"Do you really want to?" Sam leaned on the tree when Station Officer Steele left them alone, walking his way. "You don't seem too excited about it."

"I'm just not sure if I can win. Station Officer Steele is really fond about competitions" Penny confessed. She was not scared of letting someone down, but it was only excuse that she made up in the moment of single second to tell Sam. She wasn't sure yet if something was really wrong with her ankle, so she just shrugged her shoulders on it and decided to walk forward.

"Who like not you? You can do it, Penny" Sam pulled Penny closer, authomatically putting a smile on her face. "Last year Ellie, and two years ago me, but three years before you were the one to win the flag. Belive in yourself" he encouraged her even more.

When a time of race to start finally came, on duty stayed only Sam and Arnold. They turn on Pontypandy Planet to see how the race was going. The participants from city were: Dylis, Mandy, Norman and Sarah, Jodie, Ben, Moose and Tom. And of course Penny.

"You didn't want to be on the audience, Sam?"

"As much as I'd want to, I can't. It always something happens on the races, so I even didn't try to ask Steele for permission, because I knew it would be rejected" Sam sighed, looking deeply in shallow cup of tea he was drinking. "But I miss simply running."

"You can be next in next year if you sign up before Ellie would do" Arnold joked.

The path in the forest gave nice shade from the sun that was shining higher that trees. So it wasn't hard to keep a steady run for Penny. The arrows showed a direction towards the north side of forest where the sun would shine again, so Penny chose to run faster here and then make herself a little rest. That way she was having a good time and nobody was before her for now.
At least she thought so, until...

"Help! Help!" Her ears caught suppressed shout coming from the forest. At first she thought that she could misheard it, but when the shouts for help were repeated, she reacted as she was trained to. Penny walked from the path and signed with a flower the road back. She would have to explain it all later to Station Officer Steele, but with this circumstances he would understand.
Inside the forest there was pretty dark, so Penny could mostly rely on her hearing, because sign was too shallow. But some things were unable to be heard. She stumbled over a stone or a mosquito, she didn't took notice of in the darkness. Penny rolled over a few times and stopped on another rock that might have cut her hand slightly. She felt a burning sensation in her hand and a stinging in her ankle at the same time. The fall must surely have renewed some delicate previous injuries. She tried to stand up, but the ankle didn't let her. She fall down on the ground once more, but the adrenaline running through her veins helped her got up after next try. She knew it was not the wisest idea, but as long as she, however weakly and limping, could still walk, she needed to find that voices.
She walked past another tree, she leaned on to take a breath, but when she looked back she didn't recognise the view.

"Great, now I am lost" she signed and when she wanted to walked forward to look for other missing ones, they could probably found her first. Two people ran on her and all three met the ground once more. But this time Penny couldn't hold back a sigh of pain from (in a best case) twisted ankle.

"Penny, is it you?" the firefighter recognized this voice as Mandy's voice.

"Are you ok, Penny?" This one was Sarah's voice.

Penny raised on her arms and in the weak sunlight she saw the faces of two girls. Hopefully they seemed alright.

"What are you two doing so far from the track?" She asked as sternly as the pain let her.

"Nipper was with us, he ran away once and now too" Sarah explained sadly. Penny felt that girls were really sorry about what they did, so she tried to cheer them up, at last worrying wouldn't be helpful, rather it could be dangerous.

"He surely find a way out of a forest, Sarah. Dogs have that ability" Penny softly squeezed Sarah's hand and, keeping her chest up, took also Mandy's hand. "Listen to me, they are going to find us" she told confidently. "Better quickly" she muttered to herself.

"But don't we try to find a way out together?" Mandy asked, sitting on the ground next to Sarah.

"What is first rule when you get lost?" Penny raised her eyebrows with patience.

"Stay where you are and wait for help" the girls answered.