24
No matter how much a person trained, that first sixteen-hour day cutting line was a shock to the system. After three days, Finn’s back and shoulders felt like concrete. His eyes stung from the constant smoke. He had to keep chugging water to fend off dehydration. His feet ached in his steel-toed work boots.
Even so, he couldn’t stop grinning at random moments. He was back. This was what he’d fought so hard to return to. He loved the intensity of wildfire fighting, the tightness of the crew, the breathtaking surroundings. Battling a wildfire took everything he had, and more. He was constantly testing his limits, working to exhaustion and beyond. The fire didn’t stop because they were tired, so neither could the firefighters.
Damn, it was good to be back.
Within a few days, his body g
