9-1-1 (2018) s02e09 Episode Script
Hen Begins
First responders are born twice.
The first time is when they come into the world.
The second is the day when they make the choice to spend their lives running towards the danger.
To risk everything to make sure that you get home safe to the people you love.
My name is Henrietta Wilson.
And this is my story.
Don't worry.
- She'll be here.
- What can I say? - I have a type.
- Okay, fine.
Some doctors like golf, some like gentlemen's clubs, some like, uh, Lakers tickets.
It's my job to know what makes you happy.
Spoken like a true pusher.
So, is she into guys? I mean, what's her story? What's whose story? We should order that nice wine, unless they're pulling in the reins on your expense account.
Ah, since the meltdown in '08, everybody's been cutting back.
I talk to my buddies in finance and real estate.
They are all flying coach and having client meetings at Applebee's.
But not us.
Pharma is soaring.
Well, nothing helps the bottom line like a bunch of depressed folks, right? Well, Hen, you know the, uh, specs on this drug.
Why don't you tell them why it's worth the cost? Well, gentlemen, we are seeing a 14% decrease in typical side effects from all the other antidepressants on the market.
Weight gain or loss, sleep dysfunction, loss of sex drive.
You know, my patients always ask for the generic.
It's cheaper.
If it's between being able to afford the pill or no pill at all? Yeah, I think you should probably prescribe generic.
Or maybe get your patients to go for a walk, or maybe stop the processed food before popping a pill.
Well.
.
You have such a warm and generous heart.
I mean, that's very unusual for a pharma rep.
Tell me more about you.
I can tell you that I don't like to be touched without an invitation, and when people invade my space, sometimes I pin their hand to the table with their own steak knife.
Hey, my office will send over the samples first thing, okay? Hey, we'll talk soon.
- What the hell was that? - They're gonna buy.
We were building and cultivating our relationship, right? I mean, that's our job.
We're selling antidepressants, Steven, not me.
Do you even like this job? Because I got to tell you, you don't act like it.
You know, I took this job because I convinced myself that I'll be helping people if I could get them the medicine that they needed.
But that was, that was just a story I was telling myself.
Do I like this job? Hell no.
I hate it.
This is not me.
None of this is me.
So, what are you trying to say? I quit.
What? I have just never seen someone set their entire life on fire before.
So, what's it say? What kind of job should I be doing? Is it that bad? The test only works if you give honest answers.
- I was.
- I feel like all your answers were for me.
That you wrote down things that you thought you were supposed to say.
I feel like that's been my problem my whole life.
Not that I don't speak my mind.
You can ask my mom, my girlfriend, or any boss that I've ever had about that, but in terms of the jobs that I've taken, they weren't what I wanted.
They were just what I felt like I was supposed to be doing at the time.
So let me ask you a question.
What is it that you hate, more than anything else? What is it that drives you absolutely bananas? Bullies.
- Bullies? - Yeah.
They find people at their weakest, their most vulnerable, and attack.
Like, how, how do you offer someone, who's already down on their knees, a fist when what they need is a hand? So you feel a desire to protect the vulnerable.
Like a vigilante or something? Might be fun.
I mean, the hours suck and the benefits are terrible.
You know, you don't need a test to find out what you're meant to do.
You have a fire within.
Are you okay? I slept wrong last night.
And I've had this pain all day.
Where were we? You have a fire, a passion, a purpose.
And I know this is gonna sound cliché, but there's a voice inside of us that, when we listen to it, when we quiet ourselves and just listen, all will be well.
All will be revealed Oh, Stacey! Oh, hell no.
Hi, um We'll get it from here.
Let Dispatch know we're en route.
She's gonna be okay, right? - Just fine, thanks to you.
- Me? Starting CPR that quick makes all the difference.
- Probably saved her life.
- I was a lifeguard one summer as a kid.
Must have been a good one.
Even people with training tend to panic when they're confronted by the real thing.
Nice job.
It was like this total rush came over me.
I just knew exactly what to do, and I did it, I saved her.
I'm so proud of you, baby.
You never cease to amaze me.
Man, I walked into her office this morning completely unsure of what I wanted to do with my life.
And now, I mean, what if I found it? What if you found what? That thing.
My purpose.
It was all the stuff Stacey was talking about.
I'm meant to save people's lives.
Okay, I get that you're happy, you know, and-and you should be, but this was a, a fluke, right? I mean, you can't believe it's some sign from God.
No, I think the sign came from God when I was 16 and I got shot and lived.
This is Him sending me a reminder.
You know what? Forget it.
Hey, no, I'm not being dismissive.
Today, my life finally came into focus.
It's that passion Stacey was talking about.
Yeah, well, passion is for rich people.
And the rest of us, we work.
Well, I'm tired of just working.
Well, paramedics, they go through tons of physical training.
I mean, it's like being a firefighter.
So I'll just I'll get in shape.
They're trying to recruit women now, you know? Well, is that what you really want? Want to be the black lesbian in the firehouse? You know, you act like I'm-a march in there with a rainbow flag.
No one knows I'm a lesbian.
It's just firehouses are boys clubs, Hen.
And white boys clubs.
Well, then I'll just have to Rosa Parks the hell out of it, now, won't I? You're really serious about this? Yes.
I know it won't be easy.
But I at least got to try.
I need you to want this for me, too.
Hey, if you want it, I want it.
You know I will always support you.
Always.
You're like a hero.
Please find a seat.
You see this? This is a Los Angeles Firefighter Paramedic patch.
You're all here because you want to wear one.
Most of you never will.
Okay, Wilson, show me what you got.
Watch your technique.
Faster! Here we go, Wilson, come on.
Keep the pace, keep the pace.
Membership into the world's elite lifesaving service must be earned.
Physically and mentally, you'll be tested as though your life depended on it, because that's the business we are in: life and death.
Push.
Let's go, let's go, move.
Let's go, let's move! That's it, that's it.
Don't let him die.
Do not let him die! Pull, pull, pull! Let's go.
Damn, Wilson, we're supposed to save cats, not wear them.
I don't think you got it, Wilson.
Come on, Wilson, I don't know if you can do this.
How bad you want to wear that patch, Wilson? You're not gonna make it, are you? Show me! Let's go, let's go.
You're losing your pace, come on.
Keep the pace.
Get up or give up, Wilson.
They're laughing at you.
You gonna let these guys laugh at you? If you feel even the slightest glimmer of doubt about your ability to make that kind of commitment, then I suggest you back out that door.
Henrietta Wilson.
Congratulations.
You are now a Los Angeles Firefighter Paramedic.
Wilson.
Captain Gerrard? Is that your real name, "Henrietta"? Yes, sir.
What'd you do to your parents to deserve a name like that? You're prettier than most, I'll give you that.
That's the women's locker room.
Don't mind the Ping-Pong table.
We'll move it out in a week if you're still here.
- Yes, sir.
- Guys.
There's somebody I want you to meet.
- Who's this? - This is our new diversity hire.
- For real? - You know, Cap, - there's another way to say that.
- Yeah.
We're screwed.
I'm Howie.
Hen.
Welcome to the 118.
What'd you end up doing last night, Sal? Gina dragged me to that vampire movie.
Twilight.
Seriously, that's what you did with your day off? Wasn't half bad.
Honestly, I couldn't really tell you what happened in it, but that Kristen Stewart, oh, sweet mama.
I really like Kristen Stewart, too.
That's something I can get behind, know what I mean? See, I don't get that.
She's too brooding for me.
- Too - What, hot? Maybe you're more of a Team Jacob kind of guy.
I don't even know what that means.
He's insinuating that you're gay.
Easy, boys.
So, Hen, where you from? - Right here.
L.
A.
- Seriously? I would have bet money that you were from the East Coast.
You just kind of have that vibe.
Thank you for the compliment? New York bitchiness is a compliment? Whoa, nobody said anything like that, come on.
Where, exactly, in L.
A.
, Henrietta? - Inglewood.
- Inglewood.
You know what, Cap? Uh, I've been meaning to ask you for next Eight women were recruited, and three of them make it through the academy.
106 stations in L.
A.
, and we end up with one of the three.
What did I do to deserve this? I can make an educated guess.
Watch yourself.
You know how much it costs to send a woman through the academy? Same amount as it costs to put a man through, I imagine.
$82,000.
That's how much money taxpayers flush down the toilet with every failed female recruit.
I don't know.
I say if you can make it through the training, you've earned your place.
Is that what you're worried about? The taxpayers? I'm worried about my life and putting the lives of my men in the hands of somebody who isn't up to the job.
And I'm worried about that poor son of a bitch who dies in a fire because you can't drag his ass out.
And this is all because the mayor wants to say that female recruitment is up.
That is what I'm worried about.
Okay, so that was kind of ugly.
Listen, the captain's just old-school.
It's "Old" isn't the only word that comes to mind.
Look, I get what you're trying to do, but I don't need anybody carrying my load.
Hell, I'm smart enough to know that just by looking at you.
I just wanted to make sure you knew you weren't alone here.
Thank you.
Yeah, just, um call me back.
Thanks.
Katy.
From work.
She, uh, says she knows someone who might be in the market for a roommate.
- It's Arcadia, though.
- Ugh.
Long as you don't move back in with the jerk.
Right.
I never should've married him.
- I should've listened to you.
- Hey, not true.
I liked him for 48 hours: between the time you told me you were seeing someone and when I met him.
Anyway you don't have to be in any hurry.
I kicked you out of your bedroom.
You leave for work an hour before me, and I don't want you waking my ass up when you use the bathroom.
Besides, it's nice in the sunroom when it's raining.
Which is, like, once a decade now.
Get some sleep.
You look like hell.
Help! My mom is buried, and I can't get her out.
She's trapped! Come here, show me where your mom is.
Guys, this structure's unstable.
Watch yourself.
She was buried, and I found her, but I-I couldn't get her out.
Okay, we're gonna help your mom.
No, I want to be with her.
We just need you to stand back.
It's not safe in there, okay? We need room to do our work.
Please.
Ma'am, is there anybody else in the building? No.
Shovels, gentlemen.
Go, now! Can't breathe.
I'm gonna give you some oxygen.
I'm gonna help you breathe.
- Okay? - It me, or this stuff got a mind of its own? It's like that Steve McQueen movie.
Move it! Faster! Where's Kiley? Mom, I'm here.
The weight is constricting her chest, Captain.
We got to relieve the pressure on her lungs.
She's unconscious.
Shallowing! What's your mother's name? - Dianne.
- Dianne, can you hear me? Grab her hand.
Pull! It's not the mud.
Something's pinning her down.
Might be a piece of furniture.
This is like quicksand.
There's too much water.
- Or not enough.
- Not enough? You guys, do you ever build sandcastles? What happens when the tide comes in? Where are you going? To fetch a tide.
Wilson.
I love you, Mom.
This block is red-tagged, people! Do not grab belongings, just keep moving.
Just keep moving.
Officer! Can you feed me this line? Where's the fire? If this doesn't work, they're gonna burn me alive.
See, the water is loosening up the mud.
Hot damn, Wilson.
There's a log pinning her down.
I've got it.
It's coming loose.
Ready? - Give me a hand.
- Okay.
Mom? Up.
She wasn't supposed to be there in that room.
- It's my fault.
- Shh.
It's not your fault.
It's not your fault, okay? It's nobody's fault.
Wilson.
She's gonna be DOA.
I know, sir.
And you're telling yourself what? That you showed us up? Well, congratulations.
You got her out with enough time for her daughter to watch her die.
Hey! My number.
I know a great bar on the Westside.
I'll settle for a good damn bridge to jump off right now.
I'd tell you it gets better, but you'd know I was lying.
Call me.
I probably don't have to tell you to never let them see you cry.
No.
This ain't my first rodeo with men like him.
It's just the first time it happened in a job that I actually care about.
Yeah, I understand.
No, you don't.
Oh, you think they're inviting the Asian guy to their houses for barbecues and out for beers? It's a big difference between being invisible and being a threat to their way of life.
And, yes, you're a minority, too, but you're still a man.
You benefit from a system that keeps women that look like me down.
You always make friends this easily? Howie, quit screwing around in home ec class and get down here.
Some unsolicited advice: doesn't have to be me, but you should talk to someone about this.
You're not gonna survive if you take this on all by yourself, Hen.
That fender's a thing of beauty, Wilson.
Like a damn mirror.
It is almost as clean as the heads.
I'd let my granddaughters play with their Barbies in there.
I got a jump on it this morning, Captain.
Also cleaned the grease traps in the kitchen, inventoried the trucks, even got the cobwebs - in the rafters.
- Well, color me impressed.
What? You remind me of myself when I was a rookie, stuck with all the chores.
No way I was gonna let down my captain.
No way.
Other thing I did when I was a rookie was check up on my calls.
Wanted to find out how the people I treated turned out.
Stopped after a month or two.
There's no point.
But at first I had to know.
Bet you checked up on our mud lady, didn't you? Yes.
And? You were right, Captain.
She didn't make it.
Can't help but wonder if there's something we could have done differently.
It's hard to know.
But know this.
You ever go against my command again and you won't be cleaning out grease traps.
You'll be cleaning out your locker.
You missed a spot.
Attention, Station 118 No.
You're sitting this one out.
I'm not ready to have you back in the field.
I want you to think about what I said while you're prepping dinner.
Here she is.
Hey, hey, hey.
Oh, so glad you called.
Oh.
- Oh! - Thanks for taking the time.
Oh, you don't have to thank me.
I remember what it was like starting out.
I invited a couple of folks to join us.
Hope you don't mind.
Usually no, but I'm not really up for socializing.
This is Henrietta Wilson, the medic I was telling you about.
Oh, I know that look.
Casey, the gay firefighter from the 115.
- Mm-hmm.
- This is Bethanne.
She works out of Rampart.
Three of us we get together once a month, swap war stories.
Oh, so this is like a support group? Oh, relax.
It is not like AA.
In fact, can we get another round over here, please? I would be expelled.
Oh, they knew I was gay from the moment I walked in the door.
Now, never mind that I was the strongest guy in the firehouse.
All I ever wanted to be was a fireman.
You know, be a hero.
But it got so hard that my boyfriend told me to quit.
He told me to find a new dream.
Mm.
So I found a new boyfriend.
When I first started on patrol, there was this one officer.
He asked me if I knew how to fire my pistol.
I finished first in my class in the academy, and he asked me if I knew how to discharge my weapon.
Sometimes all it takes is one captain that should have retired ten years ago, who hasn't kept up with the times, to make life at work hell.
What about you, Athena? Oh.
You know, I had this partner when I worked in South L.
A.
White, part of the old guard.
You know.
He told me he always wanted to taste some chocolate, put his hand on my thigh.
I told him if he wanted chocolate, he should go to Carvel, and that if he ever touched me again, he'd taste it through a wired jaw.
Imagine how much harder it must have been for the people who came before us.
Mm.
They were and we are the first responders of change, and change doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.
So you know what you do.
You go in there tomorrow, you do your work.
Outshine them.
Hmm? Be you.
Go in there with your head up, because they don't get to determine who you are.
You decide that.
- Drink to that.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hey.
What the hell is this? I have something to say to all of you.
I see you.
I saw you all the second I walked in that door.
All of you staring down at me.
I see you when you're hazing me, not like all the other rookies.
Whether we're here in the house or-or-or we're out on a call, I'm watching you, I'm looking, I see you.
When you look at me, what do you see? A woman? A black woman? A lesbian? Good.
'Cause I'm all of those things.
And I don't expect you to love me.
I don't even ask you to like me.
All I ask is that when you look at me, see me.
See me the way I see you As a proud member of this department.
One of the rare few that chooses to spend their lives in service of those who are hurt and those who need to be saved.
Yes.
And one other thing.
If any of you have a problem with me being here, I suggest you ask for a transfer.
'Cause I'm not going anywhere.
Attention, Station 118.
Respond to a motor vehicle accident.
Unknown injuries.
Saved by the bell.
Let's go to work.
- Did you see it happen? - Came up on it.
- Just called it in.
- Party limo, Captain.
- Tommy, get the Jaws.
- Roger that.
Fire department.
We're gonna get you out.
- How many you got in here? - There's five of us.
Please hurry.
Tommy, let's go! It hurts.
- Oh, God.
- It's okay, buddy.
We got you.
Five people, plus the driver.
Two conscious.
- Driver's deceased! - Got it.
Hey.
What is that? Yellow paint.
We got one! All right, easy.
What do you remember? One second, Mark was lighting the bong.
The next, we were upside down.
We were just having a party.
It was just a party.
Apply pressure.
- Try to breathe easy.
Breathe easy.
- Captain! Captain, I think there was another vehicle - involved in the crash.
- What are you talking about? The bumper on the party limo has yellow paint on it.
- Yellow paint - She's right, Cap.
I saw it, too.
It's all over the bumper.
What if there was another car here? It would explain why the limo is so close to the road.
Maybe it hit something before it flipped over.
What does he say? He doesn't remember anything.
The only way to know for sure is if we go down there and check.
I'm not diverting resources from a critical accident scene because you saw yellow paint.
Your observation is duly noted.
Now tend to your wounded.
That's an order! Hen! He'll have your job.
If I don't do this, I don't belong in this job.
He's stable and ready to move.
For the record, I thought that was a pretty good speech.
You know what pisses me off about all this? - What? - The rain.
I had it ordered stopped a half hour ago.
I guess you got as much pull around here as I do.
More flowers.
Great.
We can use them at our funeral.
Flower vendor.
He probably finished up his day, was heading home, and got hit.
Look, Howie, it's a shoe.
Wilson! Here! I got him.
I got him.
I got him.
- No pulse.
- He's hypothermic.
He's not breathing.
Starting compressions.
This is EM-2 to unit 104.
We have a male drowning victim, approximately eight to ten years old.
Location is approximately 80 to 100 yards southeast of primary accident site.
Require immediate assistance for evac.
- Over.
- Copy.
Assistance on the way.
Come on.
Come on, baby, breathe.
- Please breathe.
- Hold.
No pulse.
- Please, baby.
Please, baby.
- Come on.
Come on, sweetheart.
Sweetheart, breathe.
Breathe, sweetheart.
Hold! No pulse.
- Come on.
Baby, please.
- Come on.
Come on.
Come on, sweetheart.
Sweetheart, breathe.
Breathe, sweetheart.
- Hold.
- Come on.
I got a pulse.
Good.
Good.
Keep breathing.
Keep breathing.
Keep breathing.
You did it.
Is this gonna be a regular thing? The crying? It damn well could.
'Cause now you got me going and I don't know how to handle it.
Please don't tell the other guys, okay? Good job, Wilson.
Okay.
Yo, Wilson.
- Nice work yesterday.
- Yeah.
We would have done a sweep and found that second car eventually.
But eventually would have been too late.
I just got lucky.
Screw that.
You're good.
Hen, Captain wants to see you in his office.
Well, it's been nice working with you.
Hey, you don't know what's gonna happen in there.
He hates me.
Not because of how good I do this job, just because of who I am.
Firefighter Wilson.
I'm Commander Roose.
I know who you are, sir.
I remember you from the brochures about recruitment.
This is Captain Cooks.
Since you've started working here, we've received numerous complaints.
If I could just have a chance - to just to defend myself.
- Not about you.
It's about Captain Gerrard.
Wh-What? I no, I, I never filed any complaints.
Not from you, Firefighter Wilson, from your coworkers.
What? Who? That information is privileged.
But let's just say, more than a few of your firefighters have your back.
Some of the complaints got pretty colorful.
One of your coworkers compared Captain Gerrard and his behavior to a particular condition best cured by Preparation H.
It's not just complaints we're receiving.
Your colleagues all have some pretty complimentary things to say about you.
You've made quite an impression.
I-I had no idea.
I-I seriously thought that you guys were bringing me in here to to fire me.
Why would we do that? You're the future of the LAFD.
Until we find Captain Gerrard's permanent replacement, Captain Cooks here is going to assume leadership of the 118.
Welcome aboard, sir.
You, too, Firefighter Wilson.
- Hen.
- Hen.
Did you know what was going on in there before you sent me in? You set me up.
That's revenge for you making it so hard to be friends with you.
Thanks for sticking it out with me.
And thanks for following me down that hillside.
The first of many, I'm sure.
Attention, Station 118.
Traffic accident with injuries.
We are born with innocence.
Then, as we grow, we are cursed with a question: "Why?" Why are we here? Is it all just chaos, or do we have a purpose? I was one of the lucky ones who found an answer to that question.
The curse was lifted and replaced with the gift of certainty.
Why am I here? Because when you are scared, when you are hurt, and when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time and the smoke is too thick to breathe or it hurts too much to move or it looks like you might lose someone you love, when it's your turn to have the worst day of your life I am here to be the first one there to help.
I am here to stand between you and the chaos.
I am a first responder.
That is my purpose.
And I'm always just a phone call away.
The first time is when they come into the world.
The second is the day when they make the choice to spend their lives running towards the danger.
To risk everything to make sure that you get home safe to the people you love.
My name is Henrietta Wilson.
And this is my story.
Don't worry.
- She'll be here.
- What can I say? - I have a type.
- Okay, fine.
Some doctors like golf, some like gentlemen's clubs, some like, uh, Lakers tickets.
It's my job to know what makes you happy.
Spoken like a true pusher.
So, is she into guys? I mean, what's her story? What's whose story? We should order that nice wine, unless they're pulling in the reins on your expense account.
Ah, since the meltdown in '08, everybody's been cutting back.
I talk to my buddies in finance and real estate.
They are all flying coach and having client meetings at Applebee's.
But not us.
Pharma is soaring.
Well, nothing helps the bottom line like a bunch of depressed folks, right? Well, Hen, you know the, uh, specs on this drug.
Why don't you tell them why it's worth the cost? Well, gentlemen, we are seeing a 14% decrease in typical side effects from all the other antidepressants on the market.
Weight gain or loss, sleep dysfunction, loss of sex drive.
You know, my patients always ask for the generic.
It's cheaper.
If it's between being able to afford the pill or no pill at all? Yeah, I think you should probably prescribe generic.
Or maybe get your patients to go for a walk, or maybe stop the processed food before popping a pill.
Well.
.
You have such a warm and generous heart.
I mean, that's very unusual for a pharma rep.
Tell me more about you.
I can tell you that I don't like to be touched without an invitation, and when people invade my space, sometimes I pin their hand to the table with their own steak knife.
Hey, my office will send over the samples first thing, okay? Hey, we'll talk soon.
- What the hell was that? - They're gonna buy.
We were building and cultivating our relationship, right? I mean, that's our job.
We're selling antidepressants, Steven, not me.
Do you even like this job? Because I got to tell you, you don't act like it.
You know, I took this job because I convinced myself that I'll be helping people if I could get them the medicine that they needed.
But that was, that was just a story I was telling myself.
Do I like this job? Hell no.
I hate it.
This is not me.
None of this is me.
So, what are you trying to say? I quit.
What? I have just never seen someone set their entire life on fire before.
So, what's it say? What kind of job should I be doing? Is it that bad? The test only works if you give honest answers.
- I was.
- I feel like all your answers were for me.
That you wrote down things that you thought you were supposed to say.
I feel like that's been my problem my whole life.
Not that I don't speak my mind.
You can ask my mom, my girlfriend, or any boss that I've ever had about that, but in terms of the jobs that I've taken, they weren't what I wanted.
They were just what I felt like I was supposed to be doing at the time.
So let me ask you a question.
What is it that you hate, more than anything else? What is it that drives you absolutely bananas? Bullies.
- Bullies? - Yeah.
They find people at their weakest, their most vulnerable, and attack.
Like, how, how do you offer someone, who's already down on their knees, a fist when what they need is a hand? So you feel a desire to protect the vulnerable.
Like a vigilante or something? Might be fun.
I mean, the hours suck and the benefits are terrible.
You know, you don't need a test to find out what you're meant to do.
You have a fire within.
Are you okay? I slept wrong last night.
And I've had this pain all day.
Where were we? You have a fire, a passion, a purpose.
And I know this is gonna sound cliché, but there's a voice inside of us that, when we listen to it, when we quiet ourselves and just listen, all will be well.
All will be revealed Oh, Stacey! Oh, hell no.
Hi, um We'll get it from here.
Let Dispatch know we're en route.
She's gonna be okay, right? - Just fine, thanks to you.
- Me? Starting CPR that quick makes all the difference.
- Probably saved her life.
- I was a lifeguard one summer as a kid.
Must have been a good one.
Even people with training tend to panic when they're confronted by the real thing.
Nice job.
It was like this total rush came over me.
I just knew exactly what to do, and I did it, I saved her.
I'm so proud of you, baby.
You never cease to amaze me.
Man, I walked into her office this morning completely unsure of what I wanted to do with my life.
And now, I mean, what if I found it? What if you found what? That thing.
My purpose.
It was all the stuff Stacey was talking about.
I'm meant to save people's lives.
Okay, I get that you're happy, you know, and-and you should be, but this was a, a fluke, right? I mean, you can't believe it's some sign from God.
No, I think the sign came from God when I was 16 and I got shot and lived.
This is Him sending me a reminder.
You know what? Forget it.
Hey, no, I'm not being dismissive.
Today, my life finally came into focus.
It's that passion Stacey was talking about.
Yeah, well, passion is for rich people.
And the rest of us, we work.
Well, I'm tired of just working.
Well, paramedics, they go through tons of physical training.
I mean, it's like being a firefighter.
So I'll just I'll get in shape.
They're trying to recruit women now, you know? Well, is that what you really want? Want to be the black lesbian in the firehouse? You know, you act like I'm-a march in there with a rainbow flag.
No one knows I'm a lesbian.
It's just firehouses are boys clubs, Hen.
And white boys clubs.
Well, then I'll just have to Rosa Parks the hell out of it, now, won't I? You're really serious about this? Yes.
I know it won't be easy.
But I at least got to try.
I need you to want this for me, too.
Hey, if you want it, I want it.
You know I will always support you.
Always.
You're like a hero.
Please find a seat.
You see this? This is a Los Angeles Firefighter Paramedic patch.
You're all here because you want to wear one.
Most of you never will.
Okay, Wilson, show me what you got.
Watch your technique.
Faster! Here we go, Wilson, come on.
Keep the pace, keep the pace.
Membership into the world's elite lifesaving service must be earned.
Physically and mentally, you'll be tested as though your life depended on it, because that's the business we are in: life and death.
Push.
Let's go, let's go, move.
Let's go, let's move! That's it, that's it.
Don't let him die.
Do not let him die! Pull, pull, pull! Let's go.
Damn, Wilson, we're supposed to save cats, not wear them.
I don't think you got it, Wilson.
Come on, Wilson, I don't know if you can do this.
How bad you want to wear that patch, Wilson? You're not gonna make it, are you? Show me! Let's go, let's go.
You're losing your pace, come on.
Keep the pace.
Get up or give up, Wilson.
They're laughing at you.
You gonna let these guys laugh at you? If you feel even the slightest glimmer of doubt about your ability to make that kind of commitment, then I suggest you back out that door.
Henrietta Wilson.
Congratulations.
You are now a Los Angeles Firefighter Paramedic.
Wilson.
Captain Gerrard? Is that your real name, "Henrietta"? Yes, sir.
What'd you do to your parents to deserve a name like that? You're prettier than most, I'll give you that.
That's the women's locker room.
Don't mind the Ping-Pong table.
We'll move it out in a week if you're still here.
- Yes, sir.
- Guys.
There's somebody I want you to meet.
- Who's this? - This is our new diversity hire.
- For real? - You know, Cap, - there's another way to say that.
- Yeah.
We're screwed.
I'm Howie.
Hen.
Welcome to the 118.
What'd you end up doing last night, Sal? Gina dragged me to that vampire movie.
Twilight.
Seriously, that's what you did with your day off? Wasn't half bad.
Honestly, I couldn't really tell you what happened in it, but that Kristen Stewart, oh, sweet mama.
I really like Kristen Stewart, too.
That's something I can get behind, know what I mean? See, I don't get that.
She's too brooding for me.
- Too - What, hot? Maybe you're more of a Team Jacob kind of guy.
I don't even know what that means.
He's insinuating that you're gay.
Easy, boys.
So, Hen, where you from? - Right here.
L.
A.
- Seriously? I would have bet money that you were from the East Coast.
You just kind of have that vibe.
Thank you for the compliment? New York bitchiness is a compliment? Whoa, nobody said anything like that, come on.
Where, exactly, in L.
A.
, Henrietta? - Inglewood.
- Inglewood.
You know what, Cap? Uh, I've been meaning to ask you for next Eight women were recruited, and three of them make it through the academy.
106 stations in L.
A.
, and we end up with one of the three.
What did I do to deserve this? I can make an educated guess.
Watch yourself.
You know how much it costs to send a woman through the academy? Same amount as it costs to put a man through, I imagine.
$82,000.
That's how much money taxpayers flush down the toilet with every failed female recruit.
I don't know.
I say if you can make it through the training, you've earned your place.
Is that what you're worried about? The taxpayers? I'm worried about my life and putting the lives of my men in the hands of somebody who isn't up to the job.
And I'm worried about that poor son of a bitch who dies in a fire because you can't drag his ass out.
And this is all because the mayor wants to say that female recruitment is up.
That is what I'm worried about.
Okay, so that was kind of ugly.
Listen, the captain's just old-school.
It's "Old" isn't the only word that comes to mind.
Look, I get what you're trying to do, but I don't need anybody carrying my load.
Hell, I'm smart enough to know that just by looking at you.
I just wanted to make sure you knew you weren't alone here.
Thank you.
Yeah, just, um call me back.
Thanks.
Katy.
From work.
She, uh, says she knows someone who might be in the market for a roommate.
- It's Arcadia, though.
- Ugh.
Long as you don't move back in with the jerk.
Right.
I never should've married him.
- I should've listened to you.
- Hey, not true.
I liked him for 48 hours: between the time you told me you were seeing someone and when I met him.
Anyway you don't have to be in any hurry.
I kicked you out of your bedroom.
You leave for work an hour before me, and I don't want you waking my ass up when you use the bathroom.
Besides, it's nice in the sunroom when it's raining.
Which is, like, once a decade now.
Get some sleep.
You look like hell.
Help! My mom is buried, and I can't get her out.
She's trapped! Come here, show me where your mom is.
Guys, this structure's unstable.
Watch yourself.
She was buried, and I found her, but I-I couldn't get her out.
Okay, we're gonna help your mom.
No, I want to be with her.
We just need you to stand back.
It's not safe in there, okay? We need room to do our work.
Please.
Ma'am, is there anybody else in the building? No.
Shovels, gentlemen.
Go, now! Can't breathe.
I'm gonna give you some oxygen.
I'm gonna help you breathe.
- Okay? - It me, or this stuff got a mind of its own? It's like that Steve McQueen movie.
Move it! Faster! Where's Kiley? Mom, I'm here.
The weight is constricting her chest, Captain.
We got to relieve the pressure on her lungs.
She's unconscious.
Shallowing! What's your mother's name? - Dianne.
- Dianne, can you hear me? Grab her hand.
Pull! It's not the mud.
Something's pinning her down.
Might be a piece of furniture.
This is like quicksand.
There's too much water.
- Or not enough.
- Not enough? You guys, do you ever build sandcastles? What happens when the tide comes in? Where are you going? To fetch a tide.
Wilson.
I love you, Mom.
This block is red-tagged, people! Do not grab belongings, just keep moving.
Just keep moving.
Officer! Can you feed me this line? Where's the fire? If this doesn't work, they're gonna burn me alive.
See, the water is loosening up the mud.
Hot damn, Wilson.
There's a log pinning her down.
I've got it.
It's coming loose.
Ready? - Give me a hand.
- Okay.
Mom? Up.
She wasn't supposed to be there in that room.
- It's my fault.
- Shh.
It's not your fault.
It's not your fault, okay? It's nobody's fault.
Wilson.
She's gonna be DOA.
I know, sir.
And you're telling yourself what? That you showed us up? Well, congratulations.
You got her out with enough time for her daughter to watch her die.
Hey! My number.
I know a great bar on the Westside.
I'll settle for a good damn bridge to jump off right now.
I'd tell you it gets better, but you'd know I was lying.
Call me.
I probably don't have to tell you to never let them see you cry.
No.
This ain't my first rodeo with men like him.
It's just the first time it happened in a job that I actually care about.
Yeah, I understand.
No, you don't.
Oh, you think they're inviting the Asian guy to their houses for barbecues and out for beers? It's a big difference between being invisible and being a threat to their way of life.
And, yes, you're a minority, too, but you're still a man.
You benefit from a system that keeps women that look like me down.
You always make friends this easily? Howie, quit screwing around in home ec class and get down here.
Some unsolicited advice: doesn't have to be me, but you should talk to someone about this.
You're not gonna survive if you take this on all by yourself, Hen.
That fender's a thing of beauty, Wilson.
Like a damn mirror.
It is almost as clean as the heads.
I'd let my granddaughters play with their Barbies in there.
I got a jump on it this morning, Captain.
Also cleaned the grease traps in the kitchen, inventoried the trucks, even got the cobwebs - in the rafters.
- Well, color me impressed.
What? You remind me of myself when I was a rookie, stuck with all the chores.
No way I was gonna let down my captain.
No way.
Other thing I did when I was a rookie was check up on my calls.
Wanted to find out how the people I treated turned out.
Stopped after a month or two.
There's no point.
But at first I had to know.
Bet you checked up on our mud lady, didn't you? Yes.
And? You were right, Captain.
She didn't make it.
Can't help but wonder if there's something we could have done differently.
It's hard to know.
But know this.
You ever go against my command again and you won't be cleaning out grease traps.
You'll be cleaning out your locker.
You missed a spot.
Attention, Station 118 No.
You're sitting this one out.
I'm not ready to have you back in the field.
I want you to think about what I said while you're prepping dinner.
Here she is.
Hey, hey, hey.
Oh, so glad you called.
Oh.
- Oh! - Thanks for taking the time.
Oh, you don't have to thank me.
I remember what it was like starting out.
I invited a couple of folks to join us.
Hope you don't mind.
Usually no, but I'm not really up for socializing.
This is Henrietta Wilson, the medic I was telling you about.
Oh, I know that look.
Casey, the gay firefighter from the 115.
- Mm-hmm.
- This is Bethanne.
She works out of Rampart.
Three of us we get together once a month, swap war stories.
Oh, so this is like a support group? Oh, relax.
It is not like AA.
In fact, can we get another round over here, please? I would be expelled.
Oh, they knew I was gay from the moment I walked in the door.
Now, never mind that I was the strongest guy in the firehouse.
All I ever wanted to be was a fireman.
You know, be a hero.
But it got so hard that my boyfriend told me to quit.
He told me to find a new dream.
Mm.
So I found a new boyfriend.
When I first started on patrol, there was this one officer.
He asked me if I knew how to fire my pistol.
I finished first in my class in the academy, and he asked me if I knew how to discharge my weapon.
Sometimes all it takes is one captain that should have retired ten years ago, who hasn't kept up with the times, to make life at work hell.
What about you, Athena? Oh.
You know, I had this partner when I worked in South L.
A.
White, part of the old guard.
You know.
He told me he always wanted to taste some chocolate, put his hand on my thigh.
I told him if he wanted chocolate, he should go to Carvel, and that if he ever touched me again, he'd taste it through a wired jaw.
Imagine how much harder it must have been for the people who came before us.
Mm.
They were and we are the first responders of change, and change doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.
So you know what you do.
You go in there tomorrow, you do your work.
Outshine them.
Hmm? Be you.
Go in there with your head up, because they don't get to determine who you are.
You decide that.
- Drink to that.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hey.
What the hell is this? I have something to say to all of you.
I see you.
I saw you all the second I walked in that door.
All of you staring down at me.
I see you when you're hazing me, not like all the other rookies.
Whether we're here in the house or-or-or we're out on a call, I'm watching you, I'm looking, I see you.
When you look at me, what do you see? A woman? A black woman? A lesbian? Good.
'Cause I'm all of those things.
And I don't expect you to love me.
I don't even ask you to like me.
All I ask is that when you look at me, see me.
See me the way I see you As a proud member of this department.
One of the rare few that chooses to spend their lives in service of those who are hurt and those who need to be saved.
Yes.
And one other thing.
If any of you have a problem with me being here, I suggest you ask for a transfer.
'Cause I'm not going anywhere.
Attention, Station 118.
Respond to a motor vehicle accident.
Unknown injuries.
Saved by the bell.
Let's go to work.
- Did you see it happen? - Came up on it.
- Just called it in.
- Party limo, Captain.
- Tommy, get the Jaws.
- Roger that.
Fire department.
We're gonna get you out.
- How many you got in here? - There's five of us.
Please hurry.
Tommy, let's go! It hurts.
- Oh, God.
- It's okay, buddy.
We got you.
Five people, plus the driver.
Two conscious.
- Driver's deceased! - Got it.
Hey.
What is that? Yellow paint.
We got one! All right, easy.
What do you remember? One second, Mark was lighting the bong.
The next, we were upside down.
We were just having a party.
It was just a party.
Apply pressure.
- Try to breathe easy.
Breathe easy.
- Captain! Captain, I think there was another vehicle - involved in the crash.
- What are you talking about? The bumper on the party limo has yellow paint on it.
- Yellow paint - She's right, Cap.
I saw it, too.
It's all over the bumper.
What if there was another car here? It would explain why the limo is so close to the road.
Maybe it hit something before it flipped over.
What does he say? He doesn't remember anything.
The only way to know for sure is if we go down there and check.
I'm not diverting resources from a critical accident scene because you saw yellow paint.
Your observation is duly noted.
Now tend to your wounded.
That's an order! Hen! He'll have your job.
If I don't do this, I don't belong in this job.
He's stable and ready to move.
For the record, I thought that was a pretty good speech.
You know what pisses me off about all this? - What? - The rain.
I had it ordered stopped a half hour ago.
I guess you got as much pull around here as I do.
More flowers.
Great.
We can use them at our funeral.
Flower vendor.
He probably finished up his day, was heading home, and got hit.
Look, Howie, it's a shoe.
Wilson! Here! I got him.
I got him.
I got him.
- No pulse.
- He's hypothermic.
He's not breathing.
Starting compressions.
This is EM-2 to unit 104.
We have a male drowning victim, approximately eight to ten years old.
Location is approximately 80 to 100 yards southeast of primary accident site.
Require immediate assistance for evac.
- Over.
- Copy.
Assistance on the way.
Come on.
Come on, baby, breathe.
- Please breathe.
- Hold.
No pulse.
- Please, baby.
Please, baby.
- Come on.
Come on, sweetheart.
Sweetheart, breathe.
Breathe, sweetheart.
Hold! No pulse.
- Come on.
Baby, please.
- Come on.
Come on.
Come on, sweetheart.
Sweetheart, breathe.
Breathe, sweetheart.
- Hold.
- Come on.
I got a pulse.
Good.
Good.
Keep breathing.
Keep breathing.
Keep breathing.
You did it.
Is this gonna be a regular thing? The crying? It damn well could.
'Cause now you got me going and I don't know how to handle it.
Please don't tell the other guys, okay? Good job, Wilson.
Okay.
Yo, Wilson.
- Nice work yesterday.
- Yeah.
We would have done a sweep and found that second car eventually.
But eventually would have been too late.
I just got lucky.
Screw that.
You're good.
Hen, Captain wants to see you in his office.
Well, it's been nice working with you.
Hey, you don't know what's gonna happen in there.
He hates me.
Not because of how good I do this job, just because of who I am.
Firefighter Wilson.
I'm Commander Roose.
I know who you are, sir.
I remember you from the brochures about recruitment.
This is Captain Cooks.
Since you've started working here, we've received numerous complaints.
If I could just have a chance - to just to defend myself.
- Not about you.
It's about Captain Gerrard.
Wh-What? I no, I, I never filed any complaints.
Not from you, Firefighter Wilson, from your coworkers.
What? Who? That information is privileged.
But let's just say, more than a few of your firefighters have your back.
Some of the complaints got pretty colorful.
One of your coworkers compared Captain Gerrard and his behavior to a particular condition best cured by Preparation H.
It's not just complaints we're receiving.
Your colleagues all have some pretty complimentary things to say about you.
You've made quite an impression.
I-I had no idea.
I-I seriously thought that you guys were bringing me in here to to fire me.
Why would we do that? You're the future of the LAFD.
Until we find Captain Gerrard's permanent replacement, Captain Cooks here is going to assume leadership of the 118.
Welcome aboard, sir.
You, too, Firefighter Wilson.
- Hen.
- Hen.
Did you know what was going on in there before you sent me in? You set me up.
That's revenge for you making it so hard to be friends with you.
Thanks for sticking it out with me.
And thanks for following me down that hillside.
The first of many, I'm sure.
Attention, Station 118.
Traffic accident with injuries.
We are born with innocence.
Then, as we grow, we are cursed with a question: "Why?" Why are we here? Is it all just chaos, or do we have a purpose? I was one of the lucky ones who found an answer to that question.
The curse was lifted and replaced with the gift of certainty.
Why am I here? Because when you are scared, when you are hurt, and when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time and the smoke is too thick to breathe or it hurts too much to move or it looks like you might lose someone you love, when it's your turn to have the worst day of your life I am here to be the first one there to help.
I am here to stand between you and the chaos.
I am a first responder.
That is my purpose.
And I'm always just a phone call away.