Chicago Fire s14e12 Episode Script
Coming in Hot
1
It was super fun.
Dr. Frost is definitely my thing.
I thought I was catching
some sort of vibe
when we were talking to Vasquez.
Do I think he's nice to look at?
Yes, I do, but it is
not like that at all.
I'll be at Molly's. We all will be.
I'll see you there.
Hey, Vi? You want a ride?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You can't get my journals back
or the stuff from my friends.
There are some things we can't get back,
no matter what we do.
You know, and I just wanted
to go back to being normal.
You don't just move on
from something like this, Christopher!
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Dad! I smell smoke!
All right, all right. Where?
I don't know. I just
- All right, all right.
- Should we get out of here?
Let's just stay calm
and wait for your dad
to check it out, OK?
[DISTANT THUMPING]
- Hey, I don't smell anything.
- Are you sure?
I swear.
Come here, honey.
Come sit with me.
There's no fire.
Hey, hey, we're OK.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
I really thought
Did you have a bad dream
again, maybe?
I'm really sorry
I woke you guys up.
It's OK, honey, all right.
It's all OK. We're fine.
We're safe.
That's the important thing,
all right?
Everything's OK, sweetheart.
Yeah.
Can I stay in here with you guys?
Yeah.
♪
Hold up McDonald's made a
bubble gum-flavored broccoli?
To get kids to eat
more vegetables.
- Mm-hmm.
- You can Google it.
- Oh, I will.
- Hey, look who it is!
- How you doing, Kylie?
- Hey, team.
Hey, you floating on Truck today?
No, we're just gearing up for
the next session of Girls on Fire.
Yeah, Severide is in Cleveland
visiting Isaiah, so I got
a little extra free time,
and this is way better
for me than TikTok.
[LAUGHTER]
Well, it's great
to see you, Kylie.
The sign-ups are coming in hot.
Yes.
We've got almost twice
as many as last session.
Very nice.
- Hey, Macy!
- Hey.
Hey!
Girls on Fire, Session 12.
About to get off
the blocks, y'all.
I hope you came with
a notebook full of drill ideas.
Oh, you know it, Lieutenant.
Good.
All right, show me what you got.
So I was thinking
OK, tell me if this is weird.
Go on.
So Dr. John Frost
slept over last night,
- and it was a blast, as usual.
- Mm-hmm?
But I had to leave
for shift before he woke up,
so he is still in my apartment
without me.
That's the weird part?
Yeah.
What if he decides to go
through all of my drawers?
Why would he do that?
Why wouldn't he?
OK, I have to tell you
something about last night.
- Um, so
- Well, today is gonna blow.
What's wrong?
Vasquez is sidelined this shift,
so we're running with three,
and nobody's happy.
When did that happen?
They emailed earlier this morning.
I don't like when
Vasquez isn't here.
It's much more fun
to have a crush around.
Crush on Vasquez?
What about Frost?
Frost is casual.
Vasquez could be too.
Keep all options open.
That's my motto.
Anyway, so what happened
with you last night?
Oh, yeah, you know, uh
I thought I was coming down
with something,
but then I woke up this morning,
- and I felt fine.
- OK.
You have got to get more
action off-shift, partner,
because I can't be the only one
around here with embarrassing stories.
[SIGHS]
What'd she say?
Uh-huh, all right,
if being at school
is gonna make things worse,
then I'd say that
we just let her stay home,
but, hey, it's your call, hon.
OK. All right.
Let me know what she says.
Bye.
Everything all right?
Annabelle, she's been
having these little
episodes.
What kind of episodes?
The kind that wakes everybody up
in the middle of the night
because she hears something
or she smells smoke.
Yeah, she's been through a lot.
Yeah.
Now, Cindy, she wants her to,
you know, go talk to a therapist,
but she's fighting us on that one.
Oh, man, it's just
every time you start
to think that the worst
is behind you, and then
Mm.
- Morning, 51.
- Morning to you, Chief.
A couple of quick things.
As some of you may
have already heard,
CFD musical chairs bit us
in the ass again today.
Personnel reassigned Vasquez
to Truck 64 this shift
for God knows what reason.
Apologies again, Kidd.
Yeah, no sweat, Chief.
And Cruz is acting up while
Severide is out of town.
God help us.
[LAUGHTER]
[ALARM BLARING]
Truck 81, Squad 3.
No rest for the weary. Let's hit it.
All right.
[SIRENS BLARING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
What's that noise?
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
People trapped inside.
Squad, get that door open.
Yeah, copy that. Tony, grinder!
Copy that.
Truck, move around the building.
Try to find another entrance
for a primary search.
See if we can keep
that fire at bay
until an engine company arrives.
You got it, Chief.
All right, Ballard, Herrmann,
let's get some extinguishers.
- Got it.
- 51 to Main.
I'm requesting a still and box alarm
with an EMS Plan 1 at my location
and an ETA on that engine company.
There's another
working fire in the area.
First engine is five
to seven minutes out.
[SAW BUZZING]
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
Come on!
[PEOPLE COUGHING]
- Come on.
- Whoa.
- Hey, come on!
- This way.
Back here. Back here.
Relax.
- Come on out.
- Medic!
- Lead them out.
- This way.
- Easy!
- Sir.
- [PEOPLE COUGHING]
- Clear, clear.
Is there anybody else in there?
There were more vendors setting up.
What is this place?
Textile market, maybe 10 or 15 shops.
[COUGHS]
One of the kiosks
caught fire near the back.
We all got trapped.
I got her. Come with me.
We're going to get you
something for that cough, OK?
- Get in there.
- Squad, mask up!
Copy.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Here we go.
You think somebody made it out?
Well, the door's propped open.
Someone went in.
Chief, we found an open door
on the Bravo side.
We're going in.
That next engine's
five to seven minutes out.
Don't overcommit.
- You're on your own for now.
- Copy that.
We'll see how deep we can get,
but the fire's rolling back here.
Let's forge a path.
- Hit it, Ballard!
- Copy.
♪
All right.
Let's move.
Fire Department! Call out!
♪
Hang on!
Chief, it's a maze in here.
There's spot fires everywhere.
We're going to take the Bravo side.
Copy. Squad, take the Delta side.
Copy that!
I have no exits
to the other shops, Chief.
We're breaching walls now to see
if we can find more victims.
Copy that.
Move out if it gets too hot there.
- Copy that.
- [MUFFLED SHOUTING]
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Guys, stop!
- Get me out of here!
- Stop!
All right, back up! We're coming in!
Fire Department! Call out!
Over here!
Hey, don't move! Don't move!
We'll come and get you.
Come on, Ballard, clear a path.
Herrmann, keep our exit clear!
You got it, Lieutenant!
OK, let's go!
♪
[COUGHING]
All right, keep close.
Ma'am, we got you.
- Grab her.
- I got her.
Keep your head down.
Stay low.
Watch your step. Stay low.
Hey, Capp, get him out of here!
We'll push through.
Copy.
♪
That's good.
Fire Department! Call out!
I'll grab her.
Tony, you check that last shop
and get the hell out of here.
Copy that.
♪
51 to Main.
Where the hell is my engine company?
Engine 27 is three minutes out.
Medic!
♪
I've got you. Watch it.
This way, this way.
All right, they all took in smoke.
Watch for delayed respiratory distress.
- He has asthma!
- All right, copy. Come with us.
Breathing is rapid and shallow.
All right. Hey, he needs an in-line neb.
- You got it.
- Thanks.
Chief, I'm going back in.
Go.
Help Tony in the last shop.
I'm on it!
♪
Medic! Medic!
Let's go! Let's go!
- Medic!
- 61!
All right, keep an eye on his arm.
He's got a pretty bad burn.
There's no burns that I can see,
but she's breathing pretty rough.
- We got her.
- There may be more coming.
Hurry up! Hurry up!
Copy.
♪
Engine 27 on scene.
[CREAKING]
Mayday! Mayday! Firefighter down!
Get a line in there right now!
- I'm going in!
- Right behind you.
Like hell you are.
Whatever just collapsed in
there fell without warning.
Chief, there's still a chance.
Engine leads the way.
Start running a hose line.
Tony's hurt, Chief.
Capp and I are
bringing him out now.
Have medics standing by.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Building's clear!
Almost there, buddy. We got you.
Hang on. Hang on.
- [GRUNTS]
- OK.
We got you.
Let's load him up.
27, 81, run two lines.
We're going offensive.
- Nobody reenters the building.
- Copy that.
Let's go, let's go. Let's go.
[GROANS]
- Where's it hurt, Tony?
- Right side.
Real bad.
Uh, well, I've seen a lot worse.
Just hang in there, OK?
Let's stabilize it with Kerlix.
- On it.
- [GROANING]
♪
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
OK.
- Trade places?
- Yeah, got it, got it.
- Go.
- Careful.
♪
[SIGHS]
I knew something was gonna happen.
I could feel it in my bones.
This wasn't on you.
There wasn't a trace of brown smoke.
No sign of fire in the trusses.
Yeah, Cruz, it came down out of nowhere.
We had just cleared
the last room when, bam.
Never heard it coming.
If you guys were even
two steps closer
Yeah, well, they weren't.
This never would have happened
if we'd had an engine company
with us from the start.
This is exactly why you don't
decommission rigs on a whim.
Hey.
OK.
He's doing great, all things considered.
The doctors don't think
that the metal slat
penetrated any organs,
but they're bringing him up
for a CT scan.
When can we see him?
It'll be probably a few hours.
Well, this sounds promising.
We might as well head back,
wait for any news.
- Chief, if you don't mind
- You can ride with me.
We'll debrief on the drive.
Well, they'll keep us posted.
I'll be back at the firehouse.
I'll see you there.
[EXHALES]
Hey, Lizzy, check this out.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
How much time do you have?
[PHONE CHIRPS]
- Mm.
- Ah, damn.
Not enough. Yeah, I gotta go.
Boo.
I'll call you later.
Glad to know your squad guy
is gonna be OK.
Yeah, same.
Oh, think about what you
want to do over the weekend.
I'm up for anything.
Oh. Yeah, OK.
The place was a maze, which
would have been tricky enough,
even if every shop didn't have
highly-flammable materials in it.
- Sounds intense.
- Yeah.
How's Tony doing?
Docs say he'll be laid up
for a couple of weeks,
but all things considered,
I'd say he's pretty damn lucky.
Hey, Kidd, can I grab you for a second?
- Sorry.
- Yeah.
Hey, let's
let's bat around some ideas
for a great first-day drill,
just something to really set the tone.
Yeah.
Hey. What's up?
So, we let Annabelle skip school today,
you know, because of everything.
Yeah.
And Cindy, she's got to go to work,
and, Annabelle, she says
that she doesn't feel like
staying at home by herself.
So, Cindy, she's gonna
drop her off in a minute,
and I'm just wondering
if you're good with her,
you know, hanging out here for a while?
Of course. Yeah, whatever you guys need.
- Just it's her house.
- Yeah.
Well, I appreciate that.
Yeah.
[GENTLE MUSIC]
Hey, kiddo.
Sorry, Dad.
I got dressed and everything.
I just couldn't.
It's OK, hon, all right? Don't be sorry.
Go inside. Grab a snack, all right?
Just go hang out in my office,
and I'll come and find you in a minute.
♪
I know.
I thought things would
get better with time,
but it just seems like
it's getting worse, doesn't it?
Yeah.
And I don't know if we're helping.
- What do you mean?
- I don't know.
I mean, I know PTSD is a real thing.
Yeah.
But what if we're indulging
this a little too much?
You saw her last night.
It's not like she was faking it.
I know,
but letting her stay home every time
she's feeling anxious,
that can't be the answer.
We need to get her in to see someone,
don't we?
OK, yeah.
I'll try and talk to her today.
Good luck with that.
[SIGHS]
♪
That was fast.
They sent the deputy district chief?
- That's not good, is it?
- No.
It probably means
they want someone's head.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
- Chief Cranston.
- Chief Pascal.
I take it they sent you here
to do an investigation.
Well, yeah, that's protocol
when a firefighter
gets injured, as you know.
You're the injured man's lieutenant?
Acting Lieutenant, sir. Joe Cruz.
All due respect, Chief,
I don't know what you've heard,
but you should know Cruz did everything
by the book on this one.
He was operating
in extremely challenging
fire conditions with
a three-man crew and no engine.
Still managed to save three civilians.
Yeah, Chief Pascal, I
So if they wanna
bring someone up on charges,
they ought to start
by looking at the genius
who decided to decommission
those engines, not Cruz.
It's not Cruz we're looking at, Chief.
It's you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
How long have we known
each other, Chief?
30, 35 years?
I hope this doesn't have
anything to do with our history.
Of course not.
You think I'm being tough,
wait until you're sitting
in front of that incident review board.
We were totally outmanned.
That's a fact.
We didn't have any water,
for God's sake.
Well, you didn't evacuate
when you should have.
That's a fact.
To be honest with you, sir, I
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Based on my read of smoke
and fire conditions,
there's no chance in hell
that beam should have collapsed
that early without warning,
unless the building wasn't up to code.
You're suggesting there was unpermitted
- construction in that building.
- There had to have been.
It's the only plausible explanation.
I had the same thought.
That's why I pulled
the building's permit history.
Every subdivision in that structure,
fully permitted and inspected
by the city in the last year.
Now, there is another
plausible explanation though.
Could it be that maybe you
just misread the conditions?
♪
Acting Lieutenant Cruz,
why don't you walk me
through the incident
from your point of view?
♪
Yes, sir.
♪
Herrmann.
How's Annabelle doing?
Ah, just, you know, keeping to herself.
When I brought up
the whole therapy topic,
she says that ChatGPT is
all the help that she needs.
There's no way talking to AI
is the same as talking to
a legit medical professional.
Exactly.
And that's what you've
got to tell her for me.
- Me?
- Yes!
You are a medical professional yourself,
and you are not her mom,
you're not her dad.
And you got a better chance
than I do of convincing her.
I mean, not exactly sure that
therapy is the only answer,
but it's a start, right?
Fine. I will give it a shot.
You're the best, Mikami.
Not so sure about that.
Hey, all right, so you take this to her.
It's her favorite.
It's turkey with a little hot sauce, OK?
♪
- Thank you.
- You got it.
I mean, ChatGPT says anxiety
is totally normal after
a traumatic experience.
Yeah, I mean, that's not wrong, um,
but the thing is, talking
this kind of stuff out, it
it might help to do it
with someone who has
actual emotions.
I probably will go to a shrink, TBH.
Right now, is it cool
if we don't talk about it?
It's all anyone wants to do.
Of course.
I'm just here for the
free turkey sandwich anyway.
Well, um,
how are you with relationship advice?
Really good.
OK.
So, there's this guy,
and we had a really fun night,
and I think I I kind of like him.
But I think one of
my best friends likes him too.
- Uh-oh.
- Yeah.
I thought she was into someone else,
or I never would have
gotten together with him.
So, um, do I tell her
what happened or not?
Do you kind of like him,
or do you really like him?
I don't think it matters either way.
What's important is now
that I know how she feels,
it's not gonna happen again.
Then I'd say don't tell her.
It's not worth it.
Yeah. That makes a lot of sense.
[CHUCKLES]
♪
What do you think, Lieutenant?
- It's pretty good.
- But not great?
I just wonder if it could be
a little more difficult.
Hey, Macy, hold up there for a sec.
Herrmann, can you grab me
some webbing out of there?
- You got it.
- Thank you.
♪
You're simulating a wire entanglement?
Exactly.
There we go. All right, Macy, go ahead.
You know, when I was
a probie, my lieutenant,
he used to run the same drill with us,
except he would put down,
you know, random pieces
of brick and cinder block.
And when you banged your knee into it,
it would hurt like hell.
I bet you learned how to sweep the floor
for debris real quick, though.
Bet your ass we did.
- Almost there.
- There you go.
- Got her.
- Nice work.
Whew. All right.
We're not trying to make it
dangerous or anything,
but the whole point of putting
these girls through
real firefighting drills
is to challenge them
and build up their self-confidence.
Remember what they say in the academy?
Smooth seas do not make a strong sailor.
I think it's crazy how they can set up
an incident review panel in one day,
but I ordered a new pair of gloves
two months ago, and nothing?
Oh, they were in this shop
on the Delta side.
If this shop space
buildout was permitted,
then there must be another
explanation for the collapse.
Tony and Capp,
they were right underneath
well, what was this beam.
I still don't know how the hell
they walked away from that.
Hey, Chief, I don't mean to pry,
but something happen
between you and Cranston
back in the day?
He was one of my first
real partners at the CFD.
We had a difference of opinion
on a call that didn't end well.
That's it.
- Cruz.
- Yeah, what do you got, Chief?
- You see these bolts?
- Yeah.
Those boltheads look like
they broke right off.
- That's not normal, is it?
- No.
When a column buckles,
the bolts usually twist
and stretch before they break.
Those bolts look like
- it's almost like they were
- Like they were cut?
Yeah, sure as hell does.
Why would somebody do that?
Excuse me?
You can't be here.
This area is restricted.
I just need
You know we can't have the subject of
an internal investigation
anywhere near the scene, Chief.
I understand, but if you look
under the base plate, you can
I can't discuss any aspect of
this investigation with you, sir,
not till my work is complete.
Now, please.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[PHONE BUZZES]
[SIGHS] OK.
John said, "Think about what
you want to do this weekend.
I'm up for anything."
And you don't want to hang out with him?
No, I do. It
I'm learning that you're
a very complicated woman
when it comes to relationships.
That's the thing.
This isn't a relationship.
And yet, he's
already assuming that
we're hanging out this weekend
like we're some kind of
committed couple.
Novak, from what you've told me,
it's not crazy for him to think that.
- I mean, I kind of did too.
- [ALARM BLARING]
Ambulance 61, person down
with unknown causes.
29887 Milwaukee Avenue.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Hi.
I I don't know
what happened, all right?
They said no allergies, but
obviously something happened.
This way.
♪
- Oh, wow.
- [GROANING]
[BOTH RETCHING]
I need to know exactly what you two ate.
Salad and soup. We shared it.
Let's get the chef now.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
O2's good, but heart rate's climbing.
Copy.
♪
[GROANS]
Hello. What's that?
It's solidified carbon for cryoplating.
You mean dry ice?
It's a carbon fog
meant to chill the plate
and enhance the flavor.
Did you put the dry ice in the soup?
- I thought it was a garnish.
- It's not meant to be eaten.
You were supposed
to have told them that.
OK, call in for another ambo
and let them know we've got
two victims coming in
with potential esophageal
or gastric perforation.
- Copy.
- Thank you.
OK, we've called for another ambulance
to get the both of you checked out.
In the meantime,
please take sips of water
as much as you can.
It'll help melt the dry ice
and relieve some of your pain.
Let's get them some to-go cups please.
We don't really do that here.
I'll find something.
OK, back up ambo's three minutes out.
Oh, great.
OK, let's get you both to Med.
Let's go.
You got it.
Oh, God.
Chief.
I was going to reach out.
Captain Hargrave from OFI called me.
Figured she would.
What the hell are you thinking,
stomping around the scene like that?
I had to go take a look for myself,
try and figure out
what actually happened.
Those columns that collapsed,
I looked under the baseplate.
Those bolts were sheared clean off.
If the fire is hot enough,
they will do that.
I know.
These bolts look like they were cut.
You're telling me this was arson?
I don't know for sure, but deliberately
weakening a structure
so that it collapses,
that's happened before.
You have got to let OFI
handle this, Dom.
You know as well as I do
that CFD is looking for
any excuse to trim headcount right now.
I'm fighting for my life.
And and I could use an advocate.
An advocate.
Really?
Like, someone who has your back
at a new firehouse,
talks up to the chiefs,
tells you who to ride with,
who to stay away from, like that?
I appreciated every bit
of advice you gave me
back then I still do.
And yet one, one disagreement on a call,
and you cut ties?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
That was more than a disagreement.
That call, that was like
a nightmare come to life.
♪
That young woman died
waiting behind her bed
praying for somebody to find her.
You blamed me for that?
No, Al, I I didn't blame you.
You might have outranked me,
but I could have fought harder.
You respected me
at least enough back then
that you would have listened.
There was there was time
to do another sweep.
I know it.
We might have found her.
That was on me.
And I haven't been able to shake it,
no matter how hard I tried.
And that's why I put road
between me and Chicago.
♪
You should've responded
when I reached out to you.
I know.
♪
Chief, I'm not gonna ask you
to cross the line.
I just need you to look at
those columns and those bolts.
That's all I ask.
♪
And in a fun twist,
the hot maître d' followed us to the rig
and invited us to dinner
there tonight on the house.
Wow, isn't it, like, impossible
to get a reservation there?
Mm, won't be for long
after word gets out
they're serving dry ice
to their customers.
- [CHUCKLES]
- But you should come with us.
- The food looks amazing.
- I appreciate that,
but I invited Macy and Kylie to Molly's.
I owe them a beer for all the work
they're doing with Girls on Fire.
I mean, Kylie's working on the rosters
for the new session as we speak.
- Oh, she's the best.
- She really is.
Oh, you guys are gonna have a blast
fighting over the hot maître d'.
I can't wait to hear who wins the prize.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
The Fire Academy?
This is the big secret destination?
Yeah, this is it. Come on.
I said I was fine to go
to school today, Dad.
I don't get why
Just trust your old man
for once, will you?
I mean, I have not
completely lost my marbles yet.
Fine.
But this absence is on you.
All right, OK.
Wow. What are they doing?
Oh.
They are trying to master their fear.
That's right.
One of the first things that you learn
in firefighter training is that fear,
it's a logical human response
to certain things heights and fire.
And that fear is totally normal.
It's even good.
You know, fire is dangerous, right?
And overcoming that fear
sometimes ain't so easy to do.
Wow.
Yeah, he's pretty good at that, right?
See, that takes a lot of training.
That's the thing.
See, we work really hard at this stuff
so that regular people,
they can go on about their lives,
and, God forbid, something bad happens,
that guys like this,
they're here to help.
[BRIGHT MUSIC]
♪
I heard you're getting sprung already?
Soon as the doc signs off.
Oh, that is a shame.
I was really hoping to get some
time off from that ugly mug of yours.
You will.
Doc says it's gonna take
a few weeks for this to heal.
You know, the next time
a structure's coming down,
maybe don't stand directly under it.
Says the guy who nearly
got his eyes burned out?
At least I didn't try to rescue a
department store mannequin.
You used a Halligan on an unlocked door
'cause you pulled instead of pushed.
- I got in.
- Hey, you guys, we get it.
You are both terrible firefighters.
[CHUCKLES]
Any word on Pascal?
Hearing's this afternoon.
They shouldn't be doing this,
not on my account.
Chief did nothing wrong.
Honestly, with all these
budget cuts and everything,
I get the feeling that
the brass was waiting
for something just like this.
What do you mean?
Well, if the CFD wants
to thin the ranks,
firing an officer for just cause,
it's the cheapest way.
They just need a reason.
And now they have one.
In fact, early forms of
jiujitsu were used by samurai,
- so that's cool.
- It is, yeah.
So what's up?
As much as I appreciate learning
all the martial arts history,
I have a feeling
it's not why you stopped by.
So come on.
Talk to me, Lizzy.
Yeah, OK. Yeah, you got me there.
Um, the the thing is
I have so much fun hanging out with you,
but I just I I wanted to make sure
that we're on the same page.
I mean, you and me, we're we're
we're casual, right?
Uh [CHUCKLES]
I mean, we haven't really
been acting that way,
or talking that way, to be honest.
I'm sorry. That was on me.
But I hope we could just
move past that and
and keep seeing each other.
[SOFT MUSIC]
I'm not in this
just for the hookup, Lizzy.
I like you a lot.
♪
I like you too.
OK.
Um, look.
Lizzy, if you're not seeing
any kind of future in this,
then
I think that maybe it's best
we just end it now
before anyone gets hurt, you know?
♪
So this isn't like a trial?
Not yet.
Chief Cranston's gonna
present his conclusions,
make a recommendation.
They'll ask some questions,
and with a little luck,
- that'll be that.
- Yeah, well, what if it isn't?
What if they decide
to draft formal charges?
Let's jump off that bridge
when we get there, Chief.
For you now, I would recommend
Excuse me, everyone.
Unfortunately, today's hearing
is gonna need to be postponed.
We just heard that Chief Cranston
was working a 311 on the
South Side early this morning,
and he collapsed on the scene.
Was it a heart attack?
- Looks like it.
- Is he OK?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
He didn't make it.
♪
And that's how
Dr. John Frost ended it
over a cup of lukewarm hospital coffee.
But it's kind of you
that ended it, right?
I mean, it sounds like
he really likes you.
Yeah, well, he
he doesn't know me all that well.
Hmm.
Is there, um, someone else
that you like more?
Is that what's stopping you from
wanting to get serious with John?
Yeah.
There are tons of guys.
Guys like that.
[CHUCKLES]
All right, but, OK,
you didn't want to commit
to 51 at first,
but at the end of the day,
once you did, it turned out
to be a perfect match.
Wait a second.
Are you trying to convince me
to get serious with Frost
because you want the hot maitre d'?
Because I will gladly step aside.
I would do that any day
of the week for you.
No, no, I am not here
for the hot maitre d'.
I am here for the awesome company.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah.
And thanks for being
the world's greatest partner.
[CHUCKLES]
And a great listener.
Hey, right back at you.
OK, now, let's think of all of the ways
that we can get rich
so we can eat at places
- like this more often.
- Oh, yes!
OK, new, more flattering
paramedic pants.
There's definitely a market for that.
Mm-hmm.
[CHUCKLES]
Got the first six weeks mapped out.
Pretty damn good, Lieutenant.
Halfway there.
What do you think about
doing a Saturday session
- over in the drill hall?
- Mmm!
Red tape's gonna be a beast,
but if you're up for it.
Training chief loves me.
I think I can sell him on it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Now it's a party.
So a new Girls on Fire
application just dropped
- in my inbox.
- Damn.
How many is that now?
I think that makes it 18.
- Yes.
- Wait, let me send it to you.
All right.
[PHONE DINGS]
Oh.
Never heard of a Muay Thai, pal.
A Mai Tai is rum, lime juice
- Hey, Herrmann?
- Yeah.
Looks like you made quite
an impression on Annabelle
over at the Academy earlier.
- Who said that?
- Well, Annabelle did.
So she put in an application
for Girls on Fire,
and she wrote a whole essay about
how she wants to be a firefighter,
maybe even Squad.
She wants to be a firefighter?
It's pretty damn cool.
I was gonna say terrifying.
[PHONE RINGING]
Hope it's good news from the hearing.
Hey, Chief.
♪
This is the second chief we've lost
to a cardiac in the last six months.
I heard about a captain over at 33.
Diagnosed with lung cancer.
Doesn't have much time.
Harrison?
Oh, man!
I knew he wasn't doing well,
but I didn't realize
It's just so crazy
how you can cheat death for 40 years
running into burning buildings,
and then it just catches up with you,
right when you're getting ready
to sail off into the sunset.
We all give our lives
to this job eventually,
one way or another.
I'm sure whatever it is can wait,
don't you think, Captain?
Actually, I think you're
gonna want to hear this.
Chief Cranston insisted I put a rush
on the examination of the
column bolts from the incident.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Your hunch was right.
There was something off
about those bolts.
They were zinc-plated A307 bolts,
- not proper anchor bolts.
- They weren't up to code.
I thought Cranston told us
that all that work
- was inspected and permitted.
- The initial buildout was.
But it turns out
the owner did additional work
without pulling permits.
Moved the column to make more space,
and when they reset it, they used cheap
hardware store bolts that
snapped like pretzel sticks
when that column got stressed.
That's what caused the sudden collapse?
See, Chief, there's no way
you could have foreseen that.
That's what Chief Cranston was
planning to tell the review board.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]
It was super fun.
Dr. Frost is definitely my thing.
I thought I was catching
some sort of vibe
when we were talking to Vasquez.
Do I think he's nice to look at?
Yes, I do, but it is
not like that at all.
I'll be at Molly's. We all will be.
I'll see you there.
Hey, Vi? You want a ride?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You can't get my journals back
or the stuff from my friends.
There are some things we can't get back,
no matter what we do.
You know, and I just wanted
to go back to being normal.
You don't just move on
from something like this, Christopher!
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Dad! I smell smoke!
All right, all right. Where?
I don't know. I just
- All right, all right.
- Should we get out of here?
Let's just stay calm
and wait for your dad
to check it out, OK?
[DISTANT THUMPING]
- Hey, I don't smell anything.
- Are you sure?
I swear.
Come here, honey.
Come sit with me.
There's no fire.
Hey, hey, we're OK.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
I really thought
Did you have a bad dream
again, maybe?
I'm really sorry
I woke you guys up.
It's OK, honey, all right.
It's all OK. We're fine.
We're safe.
That's the important thing,
all right?
Everything's OK, sweetheart.
Yeah.
Can I stay in here with you guys?
Yeah.
♪
Hold up McDonald's made a
bubble gum-flavored broccoli?
To get kids to eat
more vegetables.
- Mm-hmm.
- You can Google it.
- Oh, I will.
- Hey, look who it is!
- How you doing, Kylie?
- Hey, team.
Hey, you floating on Truck today?
No, we're just gearing up for
the next session of Girls on Fire.
Yeah, Severide is in Cleveland
visiting Isaiah, so I got
a little extra free time,
and this is way better
for me than TikTok.
[LAUGHTER]
Well, it's great
to see you, Kylie.
The sign-ups are coming in hot.
Yes.
We've got almost twice
as many as last session.
Very nice.
- Hey, Macy!
- Hey.
Hey!
Girls on Fire, Session 12.
About to get off
the blocks, y'all.
I hope you came with
a notebook full of drill ideas.
Oh, you know it, Lieutenant.
Good.
All right, show me what you got.
So I was thinking
OK, tell me if this is weird.
Go on.
So Dr. John Frost
slept over last night,
- and it was a blast, as usual.
- Mm-hmm?
But I had to leave
for shift before he woke up,
so he is still in my apartment
without me.
That's the weird part?
Yeah.
What if he decides to go
through all of my drawers?
Why would he do that?
Why wouldn't he?
OK, I have to tell you
something about last night.
- Um, so
- Well, today is gonna blow.
What's wrong?
Vasquez is sidelined this shift,
so we're running with three,
and nobody's happy.
When did that happen?
They emailed earlier this morning.
I don't like when
Vasquez isn't here.
It's much more fun
to have a crush around.
Crush on Vasquez?
What about Frost?
Frost is casual.
Vasquez could be too.
Keep all options open.
That's my motto.
Anyway, so what happened
with you last night?
Oh, yeah, you know, uh
I thought I was coming down
with something,
but then I woke up this morning,
- and I felt fine.
- OK.
You have got to get more
action off-shift, partner,
because I can't be the only one
around here with embarrassing stories.
[SIGHS]
What'd she say?
Uh-huh, all right,
if being at school
is gonna make things worse,
then I'd say that
we just let her stay home,
but, hey, it's your call, hon.
OK. All right.
Let me know what she says.
Bye.
Everything all right?
Annabelle, she's been
having these little
episodes.
What kind of episodes?
The kind that wakes everybody up
in the middle of the night
because she hears something
or she smells smoke.
Yeah, she's been through a lot.
Yeah.
Now, Cindy, she wants her to,
you know, go talk to a therapist,
but she's fighting us on that one.
Oh, man, it's just
every time you start
to think that the worst
is behind you, and then
Mm.
- Morning, 51.
- Morning to you, Chief.
A couple of quick things.
As some of you may
have already heard,
CFD musical chairs bit us
in the ass again today.
Personnel reassigned Vasquez
to Truck 64 this shift
for God knows what reason.
Apologies again, Kidd.
Yeah, no sweat, Chief.
And Cruz is acting up while
Severide is out of town.
God help us.
[LAUGHTER]
[ALARM BLARING]
Truck 81, Squad 3.
No rest for the weary. Let's hit it.
All right.
[SIRENS BLARING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
What's that noise?
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
People trapped inside.
Squad, get that door open.
Yeah, copy that. Tony, grinder!
Copy that.
Truck, move around the building.
Try to find another entrance
for a primary search.
See if we can keep
that fire at bay
until an engine company arrives.
You got it, Chief.
All right, Ballard, Herrmann,
let's get some extinguishers.
- Got it.
- 51 to Main.
I'm requesting a still and box alarm
with an EMS Plan 1 at my location
and an ETA on that engine company.
There's another
working fire in the area.
First engine is five
to seven minutes out.
[SAW BUZZING]
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
Come on!
[PEOPLE COUGHING]
- Come on.
- Whoa.
- Hey, come on!
- This way.
Back here. Back here.
Relax.
- Come on out.
- Medic!
- Lead them out.
- This way.
- Easy!
- Sir.
- [PEOPLE COUGHING]
- Clear, clear.
Is there anybody else in there?
There were more vendors setting up.
What is this place?
Textile market, maybe 10 or 15 shops.
[COUGHS]
One of the kiosks
caught fire near the back.
We all got trapped.
I got her. Come with me.
We're going to get you
something for that cough, OK?
- Get in there.
- Squad, mask up!
Copy.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Here we go.
You think somebody made it out?
Well, the door's propped open.
Someone went in.
Chief, we found an open door
on the Bravo side.
We're going in.
That next engine's
five to seven minutes out.
Don't overcommit.
- You're on your own for now.
- Copy that.
We'll see how deep we can get,
but the fire's rolling back here.
Let's forge a path.
- Hit it, Ballard!
- Copy.
♪
All right.
Let's move.
Fire Department! Call out!
♪
Hang on!
Chief, it's a maze in here.
There's spot fires everywhere.
We're going to take the Bravo side.
Copy. Squad, take the Delta side.
Copy that!
I have no exits
to the other shops, Chief.
We're breaching walls now to see
if we can find more victims.
Copy that.
Move out if it gets too hot there.
- Copy that.
- [MUFFLED SHOUTING]
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Guys, stop!
- Get me out of here!
- Stop!
All right, back up! We're coming in!
Fire Department! Call out!
Over here!
Hey, don't move! Don't move!
We'll come and get you.
Come on, Ballard, clear a path.
Herrmann, keep our exit clear!
You got it, Lieutenant!
OK, let's go!
♪
[COUGHING]
All right, keep close.
Ma'am, we got you.
- Grab her.
- I got her.
Keep your head down.
Stay low.
Watch your step. Stay low.
Hey, Capp, get him out of here!
We'll push through.
Copy.
♪
That's good.
Fire Department! Call out!
I'll grab her.
Tony, you check that last shop
and get the hell out of here.
Copy that.
♪
51 to Main.
Where the hell is my engine company?
Engine 27 is three minutes out.
Medic!
♪
I've got you. Watch it.
This way, this way.
All right, they all took in smoke.
Watch for delayed respiratory distress.
- He has asthma!
- All right, copy. Come with us.
Breathing is rapid and shallow.
All right. Hey, he needs an in-line neb.
- You got it.
- Thanks.
Chief, I'm going back in.
Go.
Help Tony in the last shop.
I'm on it!
♪
Medic! Medic!
Let's go! Let's go!
- Medic!
- 61!
All right, keep an eye on his arm.
He's got a pretty bad burn.
There's no burns that I can see,
but she's breathing pretty rough.
- We got her.
- There may be more coming.
Hurry up! Hurry up!
Copy.
♪
Engine 27 on scene.
[CREAKING]
Mayday! Mayday! Firefighter down!
Get a line in there right now!
- I'm going in!
- Right behind you.
Like hell you are.
Whatever just collapsed in
there fell without warning.
Chief, there's still a chance.
Engine leads the way.
Start running a hose line.
Tony's hurt, Chief.
Capp and I are
bringing him out now.
Have medics standing by.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Building's clear!
Almost there, buddy. We got you.
Hang on. Hang on.
- [GRUNTS]
- OK.
We got you.
Let's load him up.
27, 81, run two lines.
We're going offensive.
- Nobody reenters the building.
- Copy that.
Let's go, let's go. Let's go.
[GROANS]
- Where's it hurt, Tony?
- Right side.
Real bad.
Uh, well, I've seen a lot worse.
Just hang in there, OK?
Let's stabilize it with Kerlix.
- On it.
- [GROANING]
♪
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
OK.
- Trade places?
- Yeah, got it, got it.
- Go.
- Careful.
♪
[SIGHS]
I knew something was gonna happen.
I could feel it in my bones.
This wasn't on you.
There wasn't a trace of brown smoke.
No sign of fire in the trusses.
Yeah, Cruz, it came down out of nowhere.
We had just cleared
the last room when, bam.
Never heard it coming.
If you guys were even
two steps closer
Yeah, well, they weren't.
This never would have happened
if we'd had an engine company
with us from the start.
This is exactly why you don't
decommission rigs on a whim.
Hey.
OK.
He's doing great, all things considered.
The doctors don't think
that the metal slat
penetrated any organs,
but they're bringing him up
for a CT scan.
When can we see him?
It'll be probably a few hours.
Well, this sounds promising.
We might as well head back,
wait for any news.
- Chief, if you don't mind
- You can ride with me.
We'll debrief on the drive.
Well, they'll keep us posted.
I'll be back at the firehouse.
I'll see you there.
[EXHALES]
Hey, Lizzy, check this out.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
How much time do you have?
[PHONE CHIRPS]
- Mm.
- Ah, damn.
Not enough. Yeah, I gotta go.
Boo.
I'll call you later.
Glad to know your squad guy
is gonna be OK.
Yeah, same.
Oh, think about what you
want to do over the weekend.
I'm up for anything.
Oh. Yeah, OK.
The place was a maze, which
would have been tricky enough,
even if every shop didn't have
highly-flammable materials in it.
- Sounds intense.
- Yeah.
How's Tony doing?
Docs say he'll be laid up
for a couple of weeks,
but all things considered,
I'd say he's pretty damn lucky.
Hey, Kidd, can I grab you for a second?
- Sorry.
- Yeah.
Hey, let's
let's bat around some ideas
for a great first-day drill,
just something to really set the tone.
Yeah.
Hey. What's up?
So, we let Annabelle skip school today,
you know, because of everything.
Yeah.
And Cindy, she's got to go to work,
and, Annabelle, she says
that she doesn't feel like
staying at home by herself.
So, Cindy, she's gonna
drop her off in a minute,
and I'm just wondering
if you're good with her,
you know, hanging out here for a while?
Of course. Yeah, whatever you guys need.
- Just it's her house.
- Yeah.
Well, I appreciate that.
Yeah.
[GENTLE MUSIC]
Hey, kiddo.
Sorry, Dad.
I got dressed and everything.
I just couldn't.
It's OK, hon, all right? Don't be sorry.
Go inside. Grab a snack, all right?
Just go hang out in my office,
and I'll come and find you in a minute.
♪
I know.
I thought things would
get better with time,
but it just seems like
it's getting worse, doesn't it?
Yeah.
And I don't know if we're helping.
- What do you mean?
- I don't know.
I mean, I know PTSD is a real thing.
Yeah.
But what if we're indulging
this a little too much?
You saw her last night.
It's not like she was faking it.
I know,
but letting her stay home every time
she's feeling anxious,
that can't be the answer.
We need to get her in to see someone,
don't we?
OK, yeah.
I'll try and talk to her today.
Good luck with that.
[SIGHS]
♪
That was fast.
They sent the deputy district chief?
- That's not good, is it?
- No.
It probably means
they want someone's head.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
- Chief Cranston.
- Chief Pascal.
I take it they sent you here
to do an investigation.
Well, yeah, that's protocol
when a firefighter
gets injured, as you know.
You're the injured man's lieutenant?
Acting Lieutenant, sir. Joe Cruz.
All due respect, Chief,
I don't know what you've heard,
but you should know Cruz did everything
by the book on this one.
He was operating
in extremely challenging
fire conditions with
a three-man crew and no engine.
Still managed to save three civilians.
Yeah, Chief Pascal, I
So if they wanna
bring someone up on charges,
they ought to start
by looking at the genius
who decided to decommission
those engines, not Cruz.
It's not Cruz we're looking at, Chief.
It's you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
How long have we known
each other, Chief?
30, 35 years?
I hope this doesn't have
anything to do with our history.
Of course not.
You think I'm being tough,
wait until you're sitting
in front of that incident review board.
We were totally outmanned.
That's a fact.
We didn't have any water,
for God's sake.
Well, you didn't evacuate
when you should have.
That's a fact.
To be honest with you, sir, I
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Based on my read of smoke
and fire conditions,
there's no chance in hell
that beam should have collapsed
that early without warning,
unless the building wasn't up to code.
You're suggesting there was unpermitted
- construction in that building.
- There had to have been.
It's the only plausible explanation.
I had the same thought.
That's why I pulled
the building's permit history.
Every subdivision in that structure,
fully permitted and inspected
by the city in the last year.
Now, there is another
plausible explanation though.
Could it be that maybe you
just misread the conditions?
♪
Acting Lieutenant Cruz,
why don't you walk me
through the incident
from your point of view?
♪
Yes, sir.
♪
Herrmann.
How's Annabelle doing?
Ah, just, you know, keeping to herself.
When I brought up
the whole therapy topic,
she says that ChatGPT is
all the help that she needs.
There's no way talking to AI
is the same as talking to
a legit medical professional.
Exactly.
And that's what you've
got to tell her for me.
- Me?
- Yes!
You are a medical professional yourself,
and you are not her mom,
you're not her dad.
And you got a better chance
than I do of convincing her.
I mean, not exactly sure that
therapy is the only answer,
but it's a start, right?
Fine. I will give it a shot.
You're the best, Mikami.
Not so sure about that.
Hey, all right, so you take this to her.
It's her favorite.
It's turkey with a little hot sauce, OK?
♪
- Thank you.
- You got it.
I mean, ChatGPT says anxiety
is totally normal after
a traumatic experience.
Yeah, I mean, that's not wrong, um,
but the thing is, talking
this kind of stuff out, it
it might help to do it
with someone who has
actual emotions.
I probably will go to a shrink, TBH.
Right now, is it cool
if we don't talk about it?
It's all anyone wants to do.
Of course.
I'm just here for the
free turkey sandwich anyway.
Well, um,
how are you with relationship advice?
Really good.
OK.
So, there's this guy,
and we had a really fun night,
and I think I I kind of like him.
But I think one of
my best friends likes him too.
- Uh-oh.
- Yeah.
I thought she was into someone else,
or I never would have
gotten together with him.
So, um, do I tell her
what happened or not?
Do you kind of like him,
or do you really like him?
I don't think it matters either way.
What's important is now
that I know how she feels,
it's not gonna happen again.
Then I'd say don't tell her.
It's not worth it.
Yeah. That makes a lot of sense.
[CHUCKLES]
♪
What do you think, Lieutenant?
- It's pretty good.
- But not great?
I just wonder if it could be
a little more difficult.
Hey, Macy, hold up there for a sec.
Herrmann, can you grab me
some webbing out of there?
- You got it.
- Thank you.
♪
You're simulating a wire entanglement?
Exactly.
There we go. All right, Macy, go ahead.
You know, when I was
a probie, my lieutenant,
he used to run the same drill with us,
except he would put down,
you know, random pieces
of brick and cinder block.
And when you banged your knee into it,
it would hurt like hell.
I bet you learned how to sweep the floor
for debris real quick, though.
Bet your ass we did.
- Almost there.
- There you go.
- Got her.
- Nice work.
Whew. All right.
We're not trying to make it
dangerous or anything,
but the whole point of putting
these girls through
real firefighting drills
is to challenge them
and build up their self-confidence.
Remember what they say in the academy?
Smooth seas do not make a strong sailor.
I think it's crazy how they can set up
an incident review panel in one day,
but I ordered a new pair of gloves
two months ago, and nothing?
Oh, they were in this shop
on the Delta side.
If this shop space
buildout was permitted,
then there must be another
explanation for the collapse.
Tony and Capp,
they were right underneath
well, what was this beam.
I still don't know how the hell
they walked away from that.
Hey, Chief, I don't mean to pry,
but something happen
between you and Cranston
back in the day?
He was one of my first
real partners at the CFD.
We had a difference of opinion
on a call that didn't end well.
That's it.
- Cruz.
- Yeah, what do you got, Chief?
- You see these bolts?
- Yeah.
Those boltheads look like
they broke right off.
- That's not normal, is it?
- No.
When a column buckles,
the bolts usually twist
and stretch before they break.
Those bolts look like
- it's almost like they were
- Like they were cut?
Yeah, sure as hell does.
Why would somebody do that?
Excuse me?
You can't be here.
This area is restricted.
I just need
You know we can't have the subject of
an internal investigation
anywhere near the scene, Chief.
I understand, but if you look
under the base plate, you can
I can't discuss any aspect of
this investigation with you, sir,
not till my work is complete.
Now, please.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[PHONE BUZZES]
[SIGHS] OK.
John said, "Think about what
you want to do this weekend.
I'm up for anything."
And you don't want to hang out with him?
No, I do. It
I'm learning that you're
a very complicated woman
when it comes to relationships.
That's the thing.
This isn't a relationship.
And yet, he's
already assuming that
we're hanging out this weekend
like we're some kind of
committed couple.
Novak, from what you've told me,
it's not crazy for him to think that.
- I mean, I kind of did too.
- [ALARM BLARING]
Ambulance 61, person down
with unknown causes.
29887 Milwaukee Avenue.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Hi.
I I don't know
what happened, all right?
They said no allergies, but
obviously something happened.
This way.
♪
- Oh, wow.
- [GROANING]
[BOTH RETCHING]
I need to know exactly what you two ate.
Salad and soup. We shared it.
Let's get the chef now.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
O2's good, but heart rate's climbing.
Copy.
♪
[GROANS]
Hello. What's that?
It's solidified carbon for cryoplating.
You mean dry ice?
It's a carbon fog
meant to chill the plate
and enhance the flavor.
Did you put the dry ice in the soup?
- I thought it was a garnish.
- It's not meant to be eaten.
You were supposed
to have told them that.
OK, call in for another ambo
and let them know we've got
two victims coming in
with potential esophageal
or gastric perforation.
- Copy.
- Thank you.
OK, we've called for another ambulance
to get the both of you checked out.
In the meantime,
please take sips of water
as much as you can.
It'll help melt the dry ice
and relieve some of your pain.
Let's get them some to-go cups please.
We don't really do that here.
I'll find something.
OK, back up ambo's three minutes out.
Oh, great.
OK, let's get you both to Med.
Let's go.
You got it.
Oh, God.
Chief.
I was going to reach out.
Captain Hargrave from OFI called me.
Figured she would.
What the hell are you thinking,
stomping around the scene like that?
I had to go take a look for myself,
try and figure out
what actually happened.
Those columns that collapsed,
I looked under the baseplate.
Those bolts were sheared clean off.
If the fire is hot enough,
they will do that.
I know.
These bolts look like they were cut.
You're telling me this was arson?
I don't know for sure, but deliberately
weakening a structure
so that it collapses,
that's happened before.
You have got to let OFI
handle this, Dom.
You know as well as I do
that CFD is looking for
any excuse to trim headcount right now.
I'm fighting for my life.
And and I could use an advocate.
An advocate.
Really?
Like, someone who has your back
at a new firehouse,
talks up to the chiefs,
tells you who to ride with,
who to stay away from, like that?
I appreciated every bit
of advice you gave me
back then I still do.
And yet one, one disagreement on a call,
and you cut ties?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
That was more than a disagreement.
That call, that was like
a nightmare come to life.
♪
That young woman died
waiting behind her bed
praying for somebody to find her.
You blamed me for that?
No, Al, I I didn't blame you.
You might have outranked me,
but I could have fought harder.
You respected me
at least enough back then
that you would have listened.
There was there was time
to do another sweep.
I know it.
We might have found her.
That was on me.
And I haven't been able to shake it,
no matter how hard I tried.
And that's why I put road
between me and Chicago.
♪
You should've responded
when I reached out to you.
I know.
♪
Chief, I'm not gonna ask you
to cross the line.
I just need you to look at
those columns and those bolts.
That's all I ask.
♪
And in a fun twist,
the hot maître d' followed us to the rig
and invited us to dinner
there tonight on the house.
Wow, isn't it, like, impossible
to get a reservation there?
Mm, won't be for long
after word gets out
they're serving dry ice
to their customers.
- [CHUCKLES]
- But you should come with us.
- The food looks amazing.
- I appreciate that,
but I invited Macy and Kylie to Molly's.
I owe them a beer for all the work
they're doing with Girls on Fire.
I mean, Kylie's working on the rosters
for the new session as we speak.
- Oh, she's the best.
- She really is.
Oh, you guys are gonna have a blast
fighting over the hot maître d'.
I can't wait to hear who wins the prize.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
The Fire Academy?
This is the big secret destination?
Yeah, this is it. Come on.
I said I was fine to go
to school today, Dad.
I don't get why
Just trust your old man
for once, will you?
I mean, I have not
completely lost my marbles yet.
Fine.
But this absence is on you.
All right, OK.
Wow. What are they doing?
Oh.
They are trying to master their fear.
That's right.
One of the first things that you learn
in firefighter training is that fear,
it's a logical human response
to certain things heights and fire.
And that fear is totally normal.
It's even good.
You know, fire is dangerous, right?
And overcoming that fear
sometimes ain't so easy to do.
Wow.
Yeah, he's pretty good at that, right?
See, that takes a lot of training.
That's the thing.
See, we work really hard at this stuff
so that regular people,
they can go on about their lives,
and, God forbid, something bad happens,
that guys like this,
they're here to help.
[BRIGHT MUSIC]
♪
I heard you're getting sprung already?
Soon as the doc signs off.
Oh, that is a shame.
I was really hoping to get some
time off from that ugly mug of yours.
You will.
Doc says it's gonna take
a few weeks for this to heal.
You know, the next time
a structure's coming down,
maybe don't stand directly under it.
Says the guy who nearly
got his eyes burned out?
At least I didn't try to rescue a
department store mannequin.
You used a Halligan on an unlocked door
'cause you pulled instead of pushed.
- I got in.
- Hey, you guys, we get it.
You are both terrible firefighters.
[CHUCKLES]
Any word on Pascal?
Hearing's this afternoon.
They shouldn't be doing this,
not on my account.
Chief did nothing wrong.
Honestly, with all these
budget cuts and everything,
I get the feeling that
the brass was waiting
for something just like this.
What do you mean?
Well, if the CFD wants
to thin the ranks,
firing an officer for just cause,
it's the cheapest way.
They just need a reason.
And now they have one.
In fact, early forms of
jiujitsu were used by samurai,
- so that's cool.
- It is, yeah.
So what's up?
As much as I appreciate learning
all the martial arts history,
I have a feeling
it's not why you stopped by.
So come on.
Talk to me, Lizzy.
Yeah, OK. Yeah, you got me there.
Um, the the thing is
I have so much fun hanging out with you,
but I just I I wanted to make sure
that we're on the same page.
I mean, you and me, we're we're
we're casual, right?
Uh [CHUCKLES]
I mean, we haven't really
been acting that way,
or talking that way, to be honest.
I'm sorry. That was on me.
But I hope we could just
move past that and
and keep seeing each other.
[SOFT MUSIC]
I'm not in this
just for the hookup, Lizzy.
I like you a lot.
♪
I like you too.
OK.
Um, look.
Lizzy, if you're not seeing
any kind of future in this,
then
I think that maybe it's best
we just end it now
before anyone gets hurt, you know?
♪
So this isn't like a trial?
Not yet.
Chief Cranston's gonna
present his conclusions,
make a recommendation.
They'll ask some questions,
and with a little luck,
- that'll be that.
- Yeah, well, what if it isn't?
What if they decide
to draft formal charges?
Let's jump off that bridge
when we get there, Chief.
For you now, I would recommend
Excuse me, everyone.
Unfortunately, today's hearing
is gonna need to be postponed.
We just heard that Chief Cranston
was working a 311 on the
South Side early this morning,
and he collapsed on the scene.
Was it a heart attack?
- Looks like it.
- Is he OK?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
He didn't make it.
♪
And that's how
Dr. John Frost ended it
over a cup of lukewarm hospital coffee.
But it's kind of you
that ended it, right?
I mean, it sounds like
he really likes you.
Yeah, well, he
he doesn't know me all that well.
Hmm.
Is there, um, someone else
that you like more?
Is that what's stopping you from
wanting to get serious with John?
Yeah.
There are tons of guys.
Guys like that.
[CHUCKLES]
All right, but, OK,
you didn't want to commit
to 51 at first,
but at the end of the day,
once you did, it turned out
to be a perfect match.
Wait a second.
Are you trying to convince me
to get serious with Frost
because you want the hot maitre d'?
Because I will gladly step aside.
I would do that any day
of the week for you.
No, no, I am not here
for the hot maitre d'.
I am here for the awesome company.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah.
And thanks for being
the world's greatest partner.
[CHUCKLES]
And a great listener.
Hey, right back at you.
OK, now, let's think of all of the ways
that we can get rich
so we can eat at places
- like this more often.
- Oh, yes!
OK, new, more flattering
paramedic pants.
There's definitely a market for that.
Mm-hmm.
[CHUCKLES]
Got the first six weeks mapped out.
Pretty damn good, Lieutenant.
Halfway there.
What do you think about
doing a Saturday session
- over in the drill hall?
- Mmm!
Red tape's gonna be a beast,
but if you're up for it.
Training chief loves me.
I think I can sell him on it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Now it's a party.
So a new Girls on Fire
application just dropped
- in my inbox.
- Damn.
How many is that now?
I think that makes it 18.
- Yes.
- Wait, let me send it to you.
All right.
[PHONE DINGS]
Oh.
Never heard of a Muay Thai, pal.
A Mai Tai is rum, lime juice
- Hey, Herrmann?
- Yeah.
Looks like you made quite
an impression on Annabelle
over at the Academy earlier.
- Who said that?
- Well, Annabelle did.
So she put in an application
for Girls on Fire,
and she wrote a whole essay about
how she wants to be a firefighter,
maybe even Squad.
She wants to be a firefighter?
It's pretty damn cool.
I was gonna say terrifying.
[PHONE RINGING]
Hope it's good news from the hearing.
Hey, Chief.
♪
This is the second chief we've lost
to a cardiac in the last six months.
I heard about a captain over at 33.
Diagnosed with lung cancer.
Doesn't have much time.
Harrison?
Oh, man!
I knew he wasn't doing well,
but I didn't realize
It's just so crazy
how you can cheat death for 40 years
running into burning buildings,
and then it just catches up with you,
right when you're getting ready
to sail off into the sunset.
We all give our lives
to this job eventually,
one way or another.
I'm sure whatever it is can wait,
don't you think, Captain?
Actually, I think you're
gonna want to hear this.
Chief Cranston insisted I put a rush
on the examination of the
column bolts from the incident.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Your hunch was right.
There was something off
about those bolts.
They were zinc-plated A307 bolts,
- not proper anchor bolts.
- They weren't up to code.
I thought Cranston told us
that all that work
- was inspected and permitted.
- The initial buildout was.
But it turns out
the owner did additional work
without pulling permits.
Moved the column to make more space,
and when they reset it, they used cheap
hardware store bolts that
snapped like pretzel sticks
when that column got stressed.
That's what caused the sudden collapse?
See, Chief, there's no way
you could have foreseen that.
That's what Chief Cranston was
planning to tell the review board.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]