Chicago Fire s04e21 Episode Script
Kind Of A Crazy Idea
1 Hey, Doc.
Everything okay? I went to check on your blood work and there's no record of you signing in.
This isn't the sort of thing you wait around on.
Otis, you need to get the test.
I don't want to know.
Let me manage Molly's for you.
I will get your percentages back up.
I got great vendors to bring to the table.
This could really work out.
"Casey with his wife by his side.
" I hope nobody at headquarters saw that caption.
That why you two haven't tied the knot? But truth is, I like things the way they are.
I'm happier than I've been in a long time.
(GROANING) (BOTH PANTING) You're amazing.
(LAUGHING) What's wrong with us? We should do that all the time.
We used to spend mornings like this, then stop at Over Easy on the way to work.
Want to go now? Get some Dream Pancakes? Hell, yeah.
Let's' do it.
Ah, wait.
I can't.
I've got that youth center proposal.
- (GROANS) - Maybe after? (SIGHS) It's, um It's probably cutting it too close, work-wise.
Yeah.
Kick some ass.
Get that center approved.
Over Easy another day.
Deal.
(GROWLS) I'm telling you, Herrmann, all the best bars are moving in this direction.
It is the future.
Uh, we already got an ice maker.
Yeah, but that's for That's little chunks of frozen slush.
What I am talking about, are artisanal ice cubes.
Look, Severide knows.
Severide, you ever order a scotch on the rocks, and they bring you one, giant, perfectly clear ice cube? Yeah.
So it's pretty awesome, right? Yeah, it keeps the drink cold.
- (SNORTS) - If that's what you mean.
(LAUGHING) A ringing endorsement.
Ha! Artisanal ice cubes.
(SIGHS) Hey, thanks.
Thanks a ton.
What happened, you lose your clothes? No, they're right here.
Well, I'm gonna go, so don't feel obligated to keep this little show of yours goin'.
(ALARM BLARES) Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61: structure fire.
(SIRENS WAILING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) Top floor's in bad shape.
Okay, let's clear the building.
81, Squad 3, give me a primary search.
51, let's get a line inside.
Cruz and I'll take the top floor.
We'll search the rest.
Fire department! Can't be from smoke inhalation.
The smoke's too light in here.
Well, there's the problem.
Ah, jeez, she's got a kid.
Fire Department! Call out! Ma'am.
Ma'am, can you hear me? Okay.
Everything's clear.
Let's get her out of here.
One, two, three.
- All right.
- You good? Yeah.
Herrmann! I found the kid! Severide, report.
No one's on 3 yet.
Still looking.
Smoke's thick.
I want everyone out of there.
That roof isn't gonna hold.
Come on, sweetie.
Chief, we're cut off from the stairs.
Cruz and I are moving to the windows.
We need a ladder on the top left corner of side A.
Mouch, put the aerial on that window.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) One, two, three.
Herrmann, where's Dawson? She's bringing a little kid out.
Hon, the building's on fire and we gotta get out.
I don't want to scare you, but if you don't come to me, I'm gonna have to come after you.
Hey, hurry up! This place is gonna flashover! Chief, I can't raise Dawson! She's still inside.
Dawson, report.
Come on, honey.
Dawson, report.
Come on, sweetie.
(GRUNTS) Come on! I got you, Cruz.
Everyone okay? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
There she is! Hey, you okay? Yeah.
Hey, you.
Good eyes, Dawson.
Okay.
Is he hurt? No, he's just scared.
How's the mother? Weak pulse, shallow breathing, but we pushed Narcan.
She should be okay.
Hey.
This is my friend, Sylvie.
She's gonna take good care of you, okay? That's a serious death grip he's got.
Doesn't want to let go of you.
Yeah.
He was hiding.
Took some convincing getting him out.
Why don't you go along to Med? We'll finish up here, meet you back at the house.
- You sure? - Yeah.
Hi, honey.
What's your name? I'm Gabby.
Severide.
Want to tell me what happened up there? We felt what we thought was a victim trapped between the bed and the wall.
Smoke was really thick, Chief.
We pulled the bed out, turned out to be a false alarm.
By that time, the fire cut off our exit route.
What'd it turn out to be behind the bed? (CHUCKLES) It was a life-sized bust of Darth Vader.
Great save, guys.
Obi-Wan taught you well.
- Yeah.
- Uh-huh.
Chief, we wouldn't have wasted that time if we had those next-gen SCBA face pieces.
You seen these things? Built-in heads-up display, thermal imaging.
It's real cutting edge.
- I'll talk to headquarters.
- Thanks, Chief.
Otis, what is wrong with this picture? - Don't take the bait.
- Well Air bubbles.
That's what's wrong.
'Cause, look, normal ice cubes get cloudy because they got air bubbles trapped inside of them.
You got air bubbles trapped in your head.
We should be serving giant, perfectly clear cocktail ice cubes at Molly's, don't you think? She calls them "artesian ice cubes.
" Nope.
No, she doesn't.
Artisanal.
They make 'em in special freezers that cost thousands of dollars.
But my friend Gary, who is some kind of engineering genius, modified a commercial ice maker to do the same exact thing, and we can have it for just $500.
500 You gotta be kidding me.
No way.
That's not gonna happen.
Hey, Otis, you got a second, buddy? Hold on, Cruz.
You mind? We're just in the middle of something, real quick.
What do you say, Otis? Hmm, sound good, thumbs up? I guess, Herrmann and Dawson ow! - Ow! - Kind of important.
Okay, okay.
Sorry.
Otis is onboard.
He did not say that! What's the deal with you chickening out of a blood test? And why do I have to hear about it from Brett? You can't come to me? Brett's blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
It's not a big deal.
So you took the blood test? I didn't need to.
The bruises went away on their own; it's all good.
But next rash or sniffle I get, you'll be the first to know.
All clear.
You're in good shape, buddy.
Hey, way to go! Yeah! I want blankie.
We don't have your blanket, remember? I bet we left it at your home, buddy.
Mom's still coming down.
She's not in any shape to see him yet.
(KNOCK ON DOOR) Dawson, DCFS is here about the boy.
Louie was being fostered by Gina Waters.
She's not his mother.
Now I know your name! Louie.
That's a good one.
He's not going back there, is he? No.
I just saw his file.
Neighbors had called with complaints and we were planning to investigate, but unfortunately the agency is a little overwhelmed right now.
Where will he go? I'll take him to the Stevens Center Group Home while we try and find him a new foster family.
He was asking for his blanket.
Probably left it at the apartment.
We have plenty of blankets at the center.
Okay.
Okay, Louie.
It's time to go with Miss Cantrell now.
Louie, you and me are going to go play together.
It's gonna be okay, Louie.
Dawson still isn't back? No, not yet.
Hey, Severide, I put in a call about those new masks.
You didn't tell me they cost over 2 grand apiece.
I didn't know that.
All the same, they'll save lives.
They're telling me there's no money in the budget for 'em.
CFD already spent their budget for the year? No idea.
You trying to get the new thermal imaging masks? Those things are incredible, Chief.
Look, I'm just telling you what Chief Barr told me.
Barr is the chief of Apparatus and Equipment?? That guy earned his rank riding a desk.
He needs to talk to somebody who eats smoke for a living.
And what can go wrong? - Hey.
- There you are.
How was it? Whole thing turned into a DCFS mess at the hospital.
The boy, Louie, he was a foster kid.
Poor guy.
Hey, you did great with him at the scene, Dawson.
You kept him nice and calm.
Ain't easy to do.
I tried.
He kept crying for his blanket he left back at the apartment.
Kid's been moved around so much, it's probably the only real belonging he's got.
Let's take a ride.
Come on, guys.
We dive out onto the aerial, a couple seconds later, boom, the roof gives way.
The whole top floor is toast.
I'm lucky to be sitting here right now.
What was behind the bed? The point is, we would have got out of there a hell of a lot sooner if we had had these masks.
Look, I know you guys like to have the newest, shiniest toys, but those things cost an arm and a leg.
Chief, I'm talking about technology that's gonna save lives firefighters and civilians.
I understand.
But I'm telling you that the money isn't there.
How can the budget be maxed out? We're not even halfway through the year.
I haven't heard of any major new equipment allocations.
Well, Lieutenant, there's a lot you don't know about how budgets and allocations work.
Why don't you help me understand? You got an alderman in your house now, don't you? Why are you breaking my balls? Get him to explain it to you.
Thanks for your time, Chief.
You got it, Kelly.
So listen, Herrmann, I think that it's something you should at least be considering.
I read an article, and the thing is, I mean, have you seen the stats on U.
S.
beer consumption? It's way down, whereas cocktails are way up! Read about that.
It's confounding.
Hey, you're gonna need a tiebreaker.
Right? Come on, Dawson, help a sister out.
Yeah, sure.
Sounds good.
Say hey to Louie for us.
Dawson's onboard.
She didn't say that.
This is so thoughtful of you.
Well, Louie seemed pretty attached.
I noticed.
He didn't take his eyes off of you.
Oh, I (LAUGHS) I meant to the blanket.
Oh, yes.
Well, I'll make sure he gets it for bedtime tonight.
Great.
Um he doesn't have any family? None on record.
Birth mom was an addict, gave him up when he was an infant.
Damn.
Kid can't catch a break.
Because of what he's been through, he's going to need special attention, so he might be difficult to place, but he's still young enough, he's got a shot.
We'll do our best.
Hope so.
He deserves that.
Okay, wait a minute.
I-I'm sorry.
I'm not understanding the metaphor.
What did we do wrong? Okay, we tried to handle this the easy way.
We sent in our drones.
They missed the target.
So now it's time to put boots on the ground.
If he said the bruising has gone away I don't buy it.
Otis gets a hangnail, he doesn't shut up about it for a week.
This he says is nothing? Okay, how do we put the boots on the ground? We bring in the Green Berets.
Baba? Baba.
Baba.
(INDISTINCT MUFFLED SHOUTING) No, no, Baba.
I think we may have gone too far.
Nah.
(CONTINUES SHOUTING) Oof.
Thank you, Baba.
(SIGHS) I'm going to Dr.
Halstead after shift.
(ALARM BLARES) Ambulance 61: man down.
1111 Lakeview Avenue.
(SIREN BLARING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) It's Damon, inside.
He's really messed up, Like he has rabies or something.
Make way, guys.
What was he doing before this happened? We just found him like this.
No one knows.
All right, let's get the cardiac monitor on him.
(BEEPING) He's tachycardic.
Hey, if you guys know something, you gotta tell us.
Tell us what happened now, or your friend could die.
Aaron, tell him.
It was just a dare.
We were gonna post it on YouTube.
But we didn't think drinking a bottle would hurt him.
A bottle? What type of alcohol? It wasn't alcohol.
It was soy sauce.
This much.
It's 20 ounces.
That much sodium, he could be hypernatremic.
We need to get fluids going fast.
Will that fix him? There's no way to know.
Sodium overdoses can be fatal.
We wanted to call 911 as soon as he started throwing up, but he told us he was fine.
The way I understand it, a certain amount of money is allocated for fire and police, and anything left over gets diverted to political funds.
So maybe Chief Barr is under pressure from Alderman Hilbert not to spend all of his budget.
Alderman Hilbert? Chairman of the Police and Fire Committee.
So money for Fire and Police ends up getting used for something else altogether.
Correct.
So that's it? No masks, no matter how many lives they might save? I don't know.
I'm putting together a youth center proposal with a guy on Hilbert's committee.
Maybe he can help me put pressure on Hilbert, get him to spend that money where it should be spent.
Hi, this is Alderman Casey.
Is David available? Yes, David.
How's it going? Good, good.
Listen Alderman Casey.
- Hey.
- Hey.
So Otis hasn't even looked at me since we brought Baba in.
You know, we had a call today.
A college kid drank a bottle of soy sauce on a dare.
By the time we dropped him at the hospital, he was in a coma.
I don't think he'll make it.
Wow, that's rough.
His friends waited too long to call it in, 'cause the kid kept saying he was fine.
We did the right thing.
Ha ha, here we go.
Batch number one.
Like diamonds, right? If diamonds were worthless.
Herrmann, these are not worthless.
People pay extra for these.
Seriously? Like how much extra? A dollar? No, maybe on Rush Street, but here? We could probably get 50¢.
50 whole cents? Let me break it down.
So we sell about 100 cocktails a night on average.
Pop one of these in each glass, that's 50 extra bucks a night.
Herrmann, this machine pays for itself in two weeks.
From then on? Pure profit.
Looks pretty damn good.
Yeah, melts slower so your drink stays cold, doesn't get watered down.
Yep, that's cold.
Okay, so how much extra would you be willing to pay for a premium cube like that? Uh a quarter? 50¢? Yeah.
Yeah, 50¢.
Kidd, I'm glad I brought you on board.
You did good.
Thanks.
(LAUGHING) You owe me one.
Wait, I owe you? Mm, I figured you were just paying me back for pulling your ass out of that fire.
Is that what happened? Hell, yeah.
I saved your life.
Don't forget it.
(ROCK MUSIC ON JUKEBOX) Brian, I'm glad you finally came in Is it leukemia? No.
Because of your concern, we tested for that.
But we're dealing with a serious condition, called Immune thrombocytopenia, okay, or ITP.
It's a platelet disorder.
Never heard of it, so how serious can it be, right? Your body is low on platelets, so your blood isn't clotting properly, hence the bruising you saw.
You're very lucky it hasn't caused any real damage.
When untreated, it can lead to bleeding in the brain.
What's the treatment? Well, we have a couple options going forward, corticosteroids, and/or intravenous infusions of immune globulin.
We're going to determine what works best for you.
"Immune globulin"? Sounds like a villain from "Star Trek.
" But he can still report to work, right? Not right now.
No, we need to get that platelet count normalized.
But I'll be back on the job soon, right? We can't know that for sure right now.
We'll see how the treatment goes.
- Thanks, Will.
- You got it.
Hey.
Sorry that went so late.
Looks like we've got the votes to push this youth center through.
It's actually gonna happen.
That's fantastic.
Yeah, neighborhood council is throwing a party to celebrate.
It's on Saturday.
I said we'd both be there, hope that's okay.
Yeah, absolutely.
How's the game? Uh, we're down by one, I think.
I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention.
You weren't paying attention to your Blackhawks? (CHUCKLES) Cheers.
(SIGHS) I have kind of a crazy idea.
Yeah? Yeah, um (SIGHS AND LAUGHS) Ooh.
What? What would you think about us becoming foster parents to Louie? I can't get him out of my head, Matt.
The way he jumped into my arms and he held on with all his might I have a feeling this was meant to be.
That everything that happened this year, with us maybe it all led us here, to this little boy.
You know? I understand that I mean, he seemed like a-a great kid.
Yeah.
And he's been through so much already.
That boy deserves a real family.
Yeah, he does.
(SIGHS) Listen Gabby, a few weeks ago you said, now's not the time for us to get married.
I've got my hands full with this alderman work, both our schedules are crazy and much as I didn't want to hear it, you were right.
We barely have time for each other.
How are we going to have time for a child? I want to have a family with you.
But rushing into it now, with everything else going on It wouldn't be fair to Louie.
Or to us.
Yeah.
Yeah, I told you it was a crazy idea, right? (BOTH CHUCKLE) I've been so distracted these last couple days, I left a total mess at my apartment.
(CLEARS THROAT) Gabby.
I promised Brett I'd come by tonight, get the place in order.
I'll call you in the morning.
Wait I'll get my stuff, come with you.
No, I'm good.
I'm good.
Thanks, though.
Night.
(SOMBER MUSIC) (THUNDER RUMBLES) So the prognosis is good? That's what Doctor Halstead says.
You know, I just hope my body responds to therapy, so I don't get a spontaneous brain bleed or Take your time.
Get healthy.
Your spot will be here when you're ready.
If I'm ever ready.
You will be.
Otis? Hey.
So my dad died of leukemia And it was scary And painful And slow.
I don't want to be sick.
It's okay to be scared.
You know, I walk into a burning building and I know what I'm up against.
But this? You know, I'm in over my head here.
I'm sorry for, you know, dumping that on you.
It's okay.
That's what I'm here for.
Thank you, Chief.
Hey, I was just looking for you.
I wanted to apologize for the way things went the other night.
No, I'm the one who should apologize.
Running out like that, I guess I was more upset than I realized.
I get it.
Completely.
And I get I get your schedule, and the whole alderman thing.
It's not the right time for you to take in a child now.
I get that.
But I've been thinking about it pretty much nonstop, and it's the right time for me.
So I'm going to do it.
On my own.
I have a meeting with Tina at DCFS, to apply to be a foster mom to Louie.
There's no guarantee I'll be approved, but I'm gonna do everything in my power to help this little boy.
I have to.
Well, maybe I can figure out a way to scale back the work No, no, no, no.
See, that's the thing.
You can't force yourself into wanting this right now just because of how much I do.
It wouldn't work, Matt.
I need to do this alone.
(ALARM BLARES) Ambulance 61, Truck 81: structure fire.
1925 West Wolcott.
Hey, did they just say 1925 West Wolcott? (SIRENS WAILING) For the love of God, tell me this ain't happenin'.
- Hey, move that cart back! - Got it! Hit it, Dawson! It's inside the wall.
Get out of the way! Okay! Okay, that's good! All right, it's out.
We got it.
It's out.
Holy moly.
Oh, my God.
Electrical fire.
What is this thing? That's our Artisan ice maker.
Herrmann, I am going to take care of this.
Okay, I'm gonna make this right.
Wait how? You gonna pay for all the lost business, huh? We're gonna be shut down for days, maybe weeks.
I'll get it done fast.
I'll cover the cost, plus building materials.
I'll fix the wall.
I'll do everything, Herrmann.
Okay, you don't even have to think about it.
You can repair the wall and fix the wiring yourself? Yeah, I got some guys.
I've seen what your friends can do.
She made a mistake.
She gets it.
Give her a chance to make good.
I thought the ice cubes were kinda cool.
Come on in.
(LAUGHING) You gotta be kidding me! Being distributed to all the busiest houses.
Thanks to you.
You got some serious mojo, man? Wow.
Crazy.
Look at this.
"Augmented reality heads-up display shows you temperature, thermal imaging camera" Let's go fire one of these bad boys up.
(LAUGHTER) You know, Casey I gotta admit I wasn't crazy about you going into politics, but you're really hitting your stride with it.
Seem to be opening up a lot of doors.
Yeah.
Closing some too.
Yes.
Yes.
Okay, no.
All right.
Yeah, I love you.
Good-bye.
I call Cindy to tell her about Molly's.
She yells at me.
Believe that? - Yelled at you for what? - She says I overreacted.
It's just a building, you know, and nobody got hurt, and sounds like Otis is gonna be okay, and I should consider myself lucky because us and the kids, we're all happy and healthy.
Hmm! Smart lady.
Herrmann, you once told me that you thought I would make a great mom.
Yeah.
I remember.
You really think so? I mean, at the time you were you were just trying to cheer me up, so Hey.
I don't think so, Dawson.
I know so.
Hey, Otis, buddy, what are you doing? Throwing out all the junk food.
Oh, hey, man! Not the Dingers! Especially the Dingers.
(SIGHS) I'm not gonna take this thing lying down, Cruz.
(SIGHS) I'm gonna beat this thing.
Well, I'm right there with you, Otis.
We're gonna beat this thing together.
Awesome, man.
Grab your Nikes.
We're going for a run.
Ooh, we are gonna beat this thing together as soon as you get back from your run, huh? (LAUGHING) Okay, cool.
I love you, brother.
- Love you too.
- (WRAPPER CRINKLING) I appreciate your passion.
But when you apply to be a foster parent, it takes four to six months just to get approved.
We can't let Louie stay in a group home that long.
We need to find him a family now.
Isn't there some way I can I don't know, speed up the process? I'm a firefighter, my brother's a policeman.
He knows tons of people at DCFS.
Maybe that'll help? I'm sorry.
If you want to put in an application, there are always children in need of homes, but realistically, there's no way you'll be able to foster Louie.
I'm not really good at taking no for an answer.
Can I pay him a visit now? Go ahead.
Hey, Louie.
I'm Gabby, remember? Okay if I hang out with you a little? (GASPS) "Corduroy"? I love this book.
Will you help me read it? "Corduroy is a bear "who once lived in the toy department of a big store.
"Day after day he waited with all the other animals and dolls "for somebody to come along and take him home.
"The store was always filled with shoppers "buying all sorts of things.
But no one ever seemed to want a small bear in green overalls.
" That's a bear right there.
Yeah, there is! All right.
Come on.
Come on, you bastard.
Come on! Where are your guys? Smoke break? Yeah, yeah, I mean you you know how it goes.
Union regulations.
Use a hand? No, I-I got this.
Mm-hmm.
Wow.
You are something.
How so? 'Cause you act like you don't give a damn, and then you're the one who goes and yells at CFD brass, or comes and helps a damsel in distress Yeah, well, you got me all figured out.
Yeah, I know.
Except one thing.
What's that? When I'm married, you break into my house with flowers and champagne, and then I'm solo, and you just keep a nice, safe distance.
So I was thinking that we could put the first coat of mud, and let it dry - Next coat tomorrow? - And then yeah, exactly.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
You know, assuming I can ever get this sheet up.
Well, between the two of us? Come on, piece of cake.
Everything okay? I went to check on your blood work and there's no record of you signing in.
This isn't the sort of thing you wait around on.
Otis, you need to get the test.
I don't want to know.
Let me manage Molly's for you.
I will get your percentages back up.
I got great vendors to bring to the table.
This could really work out.
"Casey with his wife by his side.
" I hope nobody at headquarters saw that caption.
That why you two haven't tied the knot? But truth is, I like things the way they are.
I'm happier than I've been in a long time.
(GROANING) (BOTH PANTING) You're amazing.
(LAUGHING) What's wrong with us? We should do that all the time.
We used to spend mornings like this, then stop at Over Easy on the way to work.
Want to go now? Get some Dream Pancakes? Hell, yeah.
Let's' do it.
Ah, wait.
I can't.
I've got that youth center proposal.
- (GROANS) - Maybe after? (SIGHS) It's, um It's probably cutting it too close, work-wise.
Yeah.
Kick some ass.
Get that center approved.
Over Easy another day.
Deal.
(GROWLS) I'm telling you, Herrmann, all the best bars are moving in this direction.
It is the future.
Uh, we already got an ice maker.
Yeah, but that's for That's little chunks of frozen slush.
What I am talking about, are artisanal ice cubes.
Look, Severide knows.
Severide, you ever order a scotch on the rocks, and they bring you one, giant, perfectly clear ice cube? Yeah.
So it's pretty awesome, right? Yeah, it keeps the drink cold.
- (SNORTS) - If that's what you mean.
(LAUGHING) A ringing endorsement.
Ha! Artisanal ice cubes.
(SIGHS) Hey, thanks.
Thanks a ton.
What happened, you lose your clothes? No, they're right here.
Well, I'm gonna go, so don't feel obligated to keep this little show of yours goin'.
(ALARM BLARES) Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61: structure fire.
(SIRENS WAILING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) Top floor's in bad shape.
Okay, let's clear the building.
81, Squad 3, give me a primary search.
51, let's get a line inside.
Cruz and I'll take the top floor.
We'll search the rest.
Fire department! Can't be from smoke inhalation.
The smoke's too light in here.
Well, there's the problem.
Ah, jeez, she's got a kid.
Fire Department! Call out! Ma'am.
Ma'am, can you hear me? Okay.
Everything's clear.
Let's get her out of here.
One, two, three.
- All right.
- You good? Yeah.
Herrmann! I found the kid! Severide, report.
No one's on 3 yet.
Still looking.
Smoke's thick.
I want everyone out of there.
That roof isn't gonna hold.
Come on, sweetie.
Chief, we're cut off from the stairs.
Cruz and I are moving to the windows.
We need a ladder on the top left corner of side A.
Mouch, put the aerial on that window.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) One, two, three.
Herrmann, where's Dawson? She's bringing a little kid out.
Hon, the building's on fire and we gotta get out.
I don't want to scare you, but if you don't come to me, I'm gonna have to come after you.
Hey, hurry up! This place is gonna flashover! Chief, I can't raise Dawson! She's still inside.
Dawson, report.
Come on, honey.
Dawson, report.
Come on, sweetie.
(GRUNTS) Come on! I got you, Cruz.
Everyone okay? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
There she is! Hey, you okay? Yeah.
Hey, you.
Good eyes, Dawson.
Okay.
Is he hurt? No, he's just scared.
How's the mother? Weak pulse, shallow breathing, but we pushed Narcan.
She should be okay.
Hey.
This is my friend, Sylvie.
She's gonna take good care of you, okay? That's a serious death grip he's got.
Doesn't want to let go of you.
Yeah.
He was hiding.
Took some convincing getting him out.
Why don't you go along to Med? We'll finish up here, meet you back at the house.
- You sure? - Yeah.
Hi, honey.
What's your name? I'm Gabby.
Severide.
Want to tell me what happened up there? We felt what we thought was a victim trapped between the bed and the wall.
Smoke was really thick, Chief.
We pulled the bed out, turned out to be a false alarm.
By that time, the fire cut off our exit route.
What'd it turn out to be behind the bed? (CHUCKLES) It was a life-sized bust of Darth Vader.
Great save, guys.
Obi-Wan taught you well.
- Yeah.
- Uh-huh.
Chief, we wouldn't have wasted that time if we had those next-gen SCBA face pieces.
You seen these things? Built-in heads-up display, thermal imaging.
It's real cutting edge.
- I'll talk to headquarters.
- Thanks, Chief.
Otis, what is wrong with this picture? - Don't take the bait.
- Well Air bubbles.
That's what's wrong.
'Cause, look, normal ice cubes get cloudy because they got air bubbles trapped inside of them.
You got air bubbles trapped in your head.
We should be serving giant, perfectly clear cocktail ice cubes at Molly's, don't you think? She calls them "artesian ice cubes.
" Nope.
No, she doesn't.
Artisanal.
They make 'em in special freezers that cost thousands of dollars.
But my friend Gary, who is some kind of engineering genius, modified a commercial ice maker to do the same exact thing, and we can have it for just $500.
500 You gotta be kidding me.
No way.
That's not gonna happen.
Hey, Otis, you got a second, buddy? Hold on, Cruz.
You mind? We're just in the middle of something, real quick.
What do you say, Otis? Hmm, sound good, thumbs up? I guess, Herrmann and Dawson ow! - Ow! - Kind of important.
Okay, okay.
Sorry.
Otis is onboard.
He did not say that! What's the deal with you chickening out of a blood test? And why do I have to hear about it from Brett? You can't come to me? Brett's blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
It's not a big deal.
So you took the blood test? I didn't need to.
The bruises went away on their own; it's all good.
But next rash or sniffle I get, you'll be the first to know.
All clear.
You're in good shape, buddy.
Hey, way to go! Yeah! I want blankie.
We don't have your blanket, remember? I bet we left it at your home, buddy.
Mom's still coming down.
She's not in any shape to see him yet.
(KNOCK ON DOOR) Dawson, DCFS is here about the boy.
Louie was being fostered by Gina Waters.
She's not his mother.
Now I know your name! Louie.
That's a good one.
He's not going back there, is he? No.
I just saw his file.
Neighbors had called with complaints and we were planning to investigate, but unfortunately the agency is a little overwhelmed right now.
Where will he go? I'll take him to the Stevens Center Group Home while we try and find him a new foster family.
He was asking for his blanket.
Probably left it at the apartment.
We have plenty of blankets at the center.
Okay.
Okay, Louie.
It's time to go with Miss Cantrell now.
Louie, you and me are going to go play together.
It's gonna be okay, Louie.
Dawson still isn't back? No, not yet.
Hey, Severide, I put in a call about those new masks.
You didn't tell me they cost over 2 grand apiece.
I didn't know that.
All the same, they'll save lives.
They're telling me there's no money in the budget for 'em.
CFD already spent their budget for the year? No idea.
You trying to get the new thermal imaging masks? Those things are incredible, Chief.
Look, I'm just telling you what Chief Barr told me.
Barr is the chief of Apparatus and Equipment?? That guy earned his rank riding a desk.
He needs to talk to somebody who eats smoke for a living.
And what can go wrong? - Hey.
- There you are.
How was it? Whole thing turned into a DCFS mess at the hospital.
The boy, Louie, he was a foster kid.
Poor guy.
Hey, you did great with him at the scene, Dawson.
You kept him nice and calm.
Ain't easy to do.
I tried.
He kept crying for his blanket he left back at the apartment.
Kid's been moved around so much, it's probably the only real belonging he's got.
Let's take a ride.
Come on, guys.
We dive out onto the aerial, a couple seconds later, boom, the roof gives way.
The whole top floor is toast.
I'm lucky to be sitting here right now.
What was behind the bed? The point is, we would have got out of there a hell of a lot sooner if we had had these masks.
Look, I know you guys like to have the newest, shiniest toys, but those things cost an arm and a leg.
Chief, I'm talking about technology that's gonna save lives firefighters and civilians.
I understand.
But I'm telling you that the money isn't there.
How can the budget be maxed out? We're not even halfway through the year.
I haven't heard of any major new equipment allocations.
Well, Lieutenant, there's a lot you don't know about how budgets and allocations work.
Why don't you help me understand? You got an alderman in your house now, don't you? Why are you breaking my balls? Get him to explain it to you.
Thanks for your time, Chief.
You got it, Kelly.
So listen, Herrmann, I think that it's something you should at least be considering.
I read an article, and the thing is, I mean, have you seen the stats on U.
S.
beer consumption? It's way down, whereas cocktails are way up! Read about that.
It's confounding.
Hey, you're gonna need a tiebreaker.
Right? Come on, Dawson, help a sister out.
Yeah, sure.
Sounds good.
Say hey to Louie for us.
Dawson's onboard.
She didn't say that.
This is so thoughtful of you.
Well, Louie seemed pretty attached.
I noticed.
He didn't take his eyes off of you.
Oh, I (LAUGHS) I meant to the blanket.
Oh, yes.
Well, I'll make sure he gets it for bedtime tonight.
Great.
Um he doesn't have any family? None on record.
Birth mom was an addict, gave him up when he was an infant.
Damn.
Kid can't catch a break.
Because of what he's been through, he's going to need special attention, so he might be difficult to place, but he's still young enough, he's got a shot.
We'll do our best.
Hope so.
He deserves that.
Okay, wait a minute.
I-I'm sorry.
I'm not understanding the metaphor.
What did we do wrong? Okay, we tried to handle this the easy way.
We sent in our drones.
They missed the target.
So now it's time to put boots on the ground.
If he said the bruising has gone away I don't buy it.
Otis gets a hangnail, he doesn't shut up about it for a week.
This he says is nothing? Okay, how do we put the boots on the ground? We bring in the Green Berets.
Baba? Baba.
Baba.
(INDISTINCT MUFFLED SHOUTING) No, no, Baba.
I think we may have gone too far.
Nah.
(CONTINUES SHOUTING) Oof.
Thank you, Baba.
(SIGHS) I'm going to Dr.
Halstead after shift.
(ALARM BLARES) Ambulance 61: man down.
1111 Lakeview Avenue.
(SIREN BLARING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) It's Damon, inside.
He's really messed up, Like he has rabies or something.
Make way, guys.
What was he doing before this happened? We just found him like this.
No one knows.
All right, let's get the cardiac monitor on him.
(BEEPING) He's tachycardic.
Hey, if you guys know something, you gotta tell us.
Tell us what happened now, or your friend could die.
Aaron, tell him.
It was just a dare.
We were gonna post it on YouTube.
But we didn't think drinking a bottle would hurt him.
A bottle? What type of alcohol? It wasn't alcohol.
It was soy sauce.
This much.
It's 20 ounces.
That much sodium, he could be hypernatremic.
We need to get fluids going fast.
Will that fix him? There's no way to know.
Sodium overdoses can be fatal.
We wanted to call 911 as soon as he started throwing up, but he told us he was fine.
The way I understand it, a certain amount of money is allocated for fire and police, and anything left over gets diverted to political funds.
So maybe Chief Barr is under pressure from Alderman Hilbert not to spend all of his budget.
Alderman Hilbert? Chairman of the Police and Fire Committee.
So money for Fire and Police ends up getting used for something else altogether.
Correct.
So that's it? No masks, no matter how many lives they might save? I don't know.
I'm putting together a youth center proposal with a guy on Hilbert's committee.
Maybe he can help me put pressure on Hilbert, get him to spend that money where it should be spent.
Hi, this is Alderman Casey.
Is David available? Yes, David.
How's it going? Good, good.
Listen Alderman Casey.
- Hey.
- Hey.
So Otis hasn't even looked at me since we brought Baba in.
You know, we had a call today.
A college kid drank a bottle of soy sauce on a dare.
By the time we dropped him at the hospital, he was in a coma.
I don't think he'll make it.
Wow, that's rough.
His friends waited too long to call it in, 'cause the kid kept saying he was fine.
We did the right thing.
Ha ha, here we go.
Batch number one.
Like diamonds, right? If diamonds were worthless.
Herrmann, these are not worthless.
People pay extra for these.
Seriously? Like how much extra? A dollar? No, maybe on Rush Street, but here? We could probably get 50¢.
50 whole cents? Let me break it down.
So we sell about 100 cocktails a night on average.
Pop one of these in each glass, that's 50 extra bucks a night.
Herrmann, this machine pays for itself in two weeks.
From then on? Pure profit.
Looks pretty damn good.
Yeah, melts slower so your drink stays cold, doesn't get watered down.
Yep, that's cold.
Okay, so how much extra would you be willing to pay for a premium cube like that? Uh a quarter? 50¢? Yeah.
Yeah, 50¢.
Kidd, I'm glad I brought you on board.
You did good.
Thanks.
(LAUGHING) You owe me one.
Wait, I owe you? Mm, I figured you were just paying me back for pulling your ass out of that fire.
Is that what happened? Hell, yeah.
I saved your life.
Don't forget it.
(ROCK MUSIC ON JUKEBOX) Brian, I'm glad you finally came in Is it leukemia? No.
Because of your concern, we tested for that.
But we're dealing with a serious condition, called Immune thrombocytopenia, okay, or ITP.
It's a platelet disorder.
Never heard of it, so how serious can it be, right? Your body is low on platelets, so your blood isn't clotting properly, hence the bruising you saw.
You're very lucky it hasn't caused any real damage.
When untreated, it can lead to bleeding in the brain.
What's the treatment? Well, we have a couple options going forward, corticosteroids, and/or intravenous infusions of immune globulin.
We're going to determine what works best for you.
"Immune globulin"? Sounds like a villain from "Star Trek.
" But he can still report to work, right? Not right now.
No, we need to get that platelet count normalized.
But I'll be back on the job soon, right? We can't know that for sure right now.
We'll see how the treatment goes.
- Thanks, Will.
- You got it.
Hey.
Sorry that went so late.
Looks like we've got the votes to push this youth center through.
It's actually gonna happen.
That's fantastic.
Yeah, neighborhood council is throwing a party to celebrate.
It's on Saturday.
I said we'd both be there, hope that's okay.
Yeah, absolutely.
How's the game? Uh, we're down by one, I think.
I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention.
You weren't paying attention to your Blackhawks? (CHUCKLES) Cheers.
(SIGHS) I have kind of a crazy idea.
Yeah? Yeah, um (SIGHS AND LAUGHS) Ooh.
What? What would you think about us becoming foster parents to Louie? I can't get him out of my head, Matt.
The way he jumped into my arms and he held on with all his might I have a feeling this was meant to be.
That everything that happened this year, with us maybe it all led us here, to this little boy.
You know? I understand that I mean, he seemed like a-a great kid.
Yeah.
And he's been through so much already.
That boy deserves a real family.
Yeah, he does.
(SIGHS) Listen Gabby, a few weeks ago you said, now's not the time for us to get married.
I've got my hands full with this alderman work, both our schedules are crazy and much as I didn't want to hear it, you were right.
We barely have time for each other.
How are we going to have time for a child? I want to have a family with you.
But rushing into it now, with everything else going on It wouldn't be fair to Louie.
Or to us.
Yeah.
Yeah, I told you it was a crazy idea, right? (BOTH CHUCKLE) I've been so distracted these last couple days, I left a total mess at my apartment.
(CLEARS THROAT) Gabby.
I promised Brett I'd come by tonight, get the place in order.
I'll call you in the morning.
Wait I'll get my stuff, come with you.
No, I'm good.
I'm good.
Thanks, though.
Night.
(SOMBER MUSIC) (THUNDER RUMBLES) So the prognosis is good? That's what Doctor Halstead says.
You know, I just hope my body responds to therapy, so I don't get a spontaneous brain bleed or Take your time.
Get healthy.
Your spot will be here when you're ready.
If I'm ever ready.
You will be.
Otis? Hey.
So my dad died of leukemia And it was scary And painful And slow.
I don't want to be sick.
It's okay to be scared.
You know, I walk into a burning building and I know what I'm up against.
But this? You know, I'm in over my head here.
I'm sorry for, you know, dumping that on you.
It's okay.
That's what I'm here for.
Thank you, Chief.
Hey, I was just looking for you.
I wanted to apologize for the way things went the other night.
No, I'm the one who should apologize.
Running out like that, I guess I was more upset than I realized.
I get it.
Completely.
And I get I get your schedule, and the whole alderman thing.
It's not the right time for you to take in a child now.
I get that.
But I've been thinking about it pretty much nonstop, and it's the right time for me.
So I'm going to do it.
On my own.
I have a meeting with Tina at DCFS, to apply to be a foster mom to Louie.
There's no guarantee I'll be approved, but I'm gonna do everything in my power to help this little boy.
I have to.
Well, maybe I can figure out a way to scale back the work No, no, no, no.
See, that's the thing.
You can't force yourself into wanting this right now just because of how much I do.
It wouldn't work, Matt.
I need to do this alone.
(ALARM BLARES) Ambulance 61, Truck 81: structure fire.
1925 West Wolcott.
Hey, did they just say 1925 West Wolcott? (SIRENS WAILING) For the love of God, tell me this ain't happenin'.
- Hey, move that cart back! - Got it! Hit it, Dawson! It's inside the wall.
Get out of the way! Okay! Okay, that's good! All right, it's out.
We got it.
It's out.
Holy moly.
Oh, my God.
Electrical fire.
What is this thing? That's our Artisan ice maker.
Herrmann, I am going to take care of this.
Okay, I'm gonna make this right.
Wait how? You gonna pay for all the lost business, huh? We're gonna be shut down for days, maybe weeks.
I'll get it done fast.
I'll cover the cost, plus building materials.
I'll fix the wall.
I'll do everything, Herrmann.
Okay, you don't even have to think about it.
You can repair the wall and fix the wiring yourself? Yeah, I got some guys.
I've seen what your friends can do.
She made a mistake.
She gets it.
Give her a chance to make good.
I thought the ice cubes were kinda cool.
Come on in.
(LAUGHING) You gotta be kidding me! Being distributed to all the busiest houses.
Thanks to you.
You got some serious mojo, man? Wow.
Crazy.
Look at this.
"Augmented reality heads-up display shows you temperature, thermal imaging camera" Let's go fire one of these bad boys up.
(LAUGHTER) You know, Casey I gotta admit I wasn't crazy about you going into politics, but you're really hitting your stride with it.
Seem to be opening up a lot of doors.
Yeah.
Closing some too.
Yes.
Yes.
Okay, no.
All right.
Yeah, I love you.
Good-bye.
I call Cindy to tell her about Molly's.
She yells at me.
Believe that? - Yelled at you for what? - She says I overreacted.
It's just a building, you know, and nobody got hurt, and sounds like Otis is gonna be okay, and I should consider myself lucky because us and the kids, we're all happy and healthy.
Hmm! Smart lady.
Herrmann, you once told me that you thought I would make a great mom.
Yeah.
I remember.
You really think so? I mean, at the time you were you were just trying to cheer me up, so Hey.
I don't think so, Dawson.
I know so.
Hey, Otis, buddy, what are you doing? Throwing out all the junk food.
Oh, hey, man! Not the Dingers! Especially the Dingers.
(SIGHS) I'm not gonna take this thing lying down, Cruz.
(SIGHS) I'm gonna beat this thing.
Well, I'm right there with you, Otis.
We're gonna beat this thing together.
Awesome, man.
Grab your Nikes.
We're going for a run.
Ooh, we are gonna beat this thing together as soon as you get back from your run, huh? (LAUGHING) Okay, cool.
I love you, brother.
- Love you too.
- (WRAPPER CRINKLING) I appreciate your passion.
But when you apply to be a foster parent, it takes four to six months just to get approved.
We can't let Louie stay in a group home that long.
We need to find him a family now.
Isn't there some way I can I don't know, speed up the process? I'm a firefighter, my brother's a policeman.
He knows tons of people at DCFS.
Maybe that'll help? I'm sorry.
If you want to put in an application, there are always children in need of homes, but realistically, there's no way you'll be able to foster Louie.
I'm not really good at taking no for an answer.
Can I pay him a visit now? Go ahead.
Hey, Louie.
I'm Gabby, remember? Okay if I hang out with you a little? (GASPS) "Corduroy"? I love this book.
Will you help me read it? "Corduroy is a bear "who once lived in the toy department of a big store.
"Day after day he waited with all the other animals and dolls "for somebody to come along and take him home.
"The store was always filled with shoppers "buying all sorts of things.
But no one ever seemed to want a small bear in green overalls.
" That's a bear right there.
Yeah, there is! All right.
Come on.
Come on, you bastard.
Come on! Where are your guys? Smoke break? Yeah, yeah, I mean you you know how it goes.
Union regulations.
Use a hand? No, I-I got this.
Mm-hmm.
Wow.
You are something.
How so? 'Cause you act like you don't give a damn, and then you're the one who goes and yells at CFD brass, or comes and helps a damsel in distress Yeah, well, you got me all figured out.
Yeah, I know.
Except one thing.
What's that? When I'm married, you break into my house with flowers and champagne, and then I'm solo, and you just keep a nice, safe distance.
So I was thinking that we could put the first coat of mud, and let it dry - Next coat tomorrow? - And then yeah, exactly.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
You know, assuming I can ever get this sheet up.
Well, between the two of us? Come on, piece of cake.