Chicago Fire s06e02 Episode Script
Ignite on Contact
1 School fire.
4548 West Quincy.
That's Donna's school! - Donna! - Wallace! [coughing.]
I got her! Hey, if you can move, move! Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Mrs.
Wagner went in for a second surgery, and it is still critical.
Fire wasn't an accident.
I have successfully signed up Firehouse 51 for the Firefighter Muster! This is just for a few weeks.
Feel free to do whatever you need to do.
I'm Hope, Sylvie's friend.
I just wanted you to know that you can text me anytime.
[rock and roll music.]
See? I knew this roomie situation was gonna work out great.
[sipping coffee.]
Cheers.
[chuckles.]
[sighs.]
Well, I didn't lie, right? Over Easy's the best breakfast in Chicago.
Totally.
I'm telling you, I love every part of this city.
Feels so good to get out of Fowlerton.
Even if it was just for a little bit.
Is everything okay back at home? Yeah, it's fine.
It's just you know Fowlerton.
Come on, you bum! Move your tail! - Shift's starting! - [laughter.]
Hey, Hope.
Hi, Otis! I'm so sorry about these buffoons! Thank you for the ride, and I hope you enjoy Sears Tower.
Thanks.
I will.
Really mature behavior, as usual.
You guys jumped like a foot out of your seats.
Yeah, any chance you had with Hope is gone.
What? No, women love that kind of stuff.
I'm a woman.
Mmm not in those pants.
[laughter.]
[melancholy music.]
Donna believes the fire was intentionally set.
Did one of the students see what happened? No.
Nobody was there when it started.
But after the fire, when we were outside the school, the way the chem lab students were whispering to each other it's like they knew something.
Did you hear anything specific? Any names? - Anything? - No.
A lot of the faculty have reached out.
We brought in a counselor, but none of these students will talk.
So you think one of the students did this? Yeah.
I just don't know which one, and if any of the others saw it happen.
Look, I know all of this sounds really vague, but Donna's instincts with the case are dead on.
She says they're hiding something, then they are.
What does OFI say? They're still investigating the scene.
I just spoke with Lt.
Hubble.
She says with all the chemicals stored in the lab, and all the gas lines, they're just going to go under the assumption that it was an accident, unless we find evidence of arson.
Meanwhile, Jamie Wagner is in the hospital with burns all over her body.
I'd like you two to go to the school.
Make sure OFI doesn't miss anything.
Yeah, you got it, Chief.
Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, motor vehicle accident on Lakeshore Drive and Lincoln.
We'll do everything we can.
[sirens blaring.]
[tires screeching.]
[brakes hiss.]
Great, squad's here.
C'mon, Severide, let us have some fun once in a while.
You think I want to break a sweat, Labedzki? - Where's your lieutenant? - Down below.
Hey, Wolanski! We got Truck 81 and Squad 3 here.
Just let us know where you want us.
Okay, stand by.
I'm gonna get this driver stabilized [snapping.]
Get out of there! [screaming.]
Need some help here! 81! We need some weight on that back end! Kidd, secure the wreck to our tow hook! - Copy! - And Cruz, let's grab some airbags.
Airbags! Copy! [all grunting.]
Hey, Wolanski! Look at me! How are you feeling? Good, just pull me out.
- Okay.
- Worth a try.
[straining.]
He's not moving.
Let's hurry up with those airbags! [grunts.]
It's getting harder to breathe! I keep telling you, Wolanski.
Lay off the donuts! Don't make me laugh.
I'll break a rib.
- [crunching.]
- [screaming.]
What's happening over there? Sorry, lieutenant! Get it together, 81! What the hell? Easy, Labedzki, it was nobody's fault.
- Yeah, right! - Come on, Kidd! - Ready? - Almost there! - Got it! - All right.
Let me know when you're ready, Cruz.
Good to go.
All right, up on one.
[air hissing.]
All right, up on two! [air hissing.]
All right, all right.
- Okay, on three, pull.
Ready? - Yep.
One two three! Dawson, Brett! I'm okay.
- Don't move.
Don't move.
- I'm okay.
We gotta make sure.
No, I'm okay.
Don't worry about me.
Take care of the driver.
[grunts.]
[panting.]
Thank you.
- He's stabilized.
- All yours, guys.
- Watch his head.
- You got him? You're welcome! Hey Mouch, how many people of the Polish persuasion does it take to rescue an injured motorist? Are you funny now? You a comedian? Hey, relax, Labedzki.
I'm just checking your hearing.
Boy, you guys from 51 really think you're God's gift, don't you? We bailed you out.
Be gracious about it.
[all shouting at once.]
Hey! Hey! Let's put all this aggression where it belongs: on the field at the All-Chicago Semi-Annual Firefighter Muster! Are you kidding? We'll knock you on your ass.
1,000 bucks says otherwise.
- Uh Wait what? Mouch - 100 bucks a man.
You're on.
May the best house win.
You're welcome.
I'm gonna visit Jamie after work.
Doctor says she's still having a hard time breathing.
- Sorry to hear that.
- Yeah.
I'll join you.
How are you supposed to hold class when most of the second floor is destroyed? Math and science are in the cafeteria for a few months while they rebuild.
Some of those kids were in the chem lab.
Maybe if I wasn't new here, or had a smarter approach, they'd talk to me.
Ellie, you've done all that you can.
Doesn't feel like it.
Whoever started the fire is still in there somewhere.
You still sure about that? You may know fires, Wallace, but I know kids.
You have to trust me.
I do.
[somber music.]
I haven't told anyone about this, not even Trudy, but when my heart stopped, when I was going into the light, I saw something.
I saw that I was surrounded by all the people of 51.
We were hand in hand, helping each other ascend a grand staircase, which rose up towards a golden chalice.
Only now do I understand the meaning of this vision.
We are going to win the Firefighter Muster.
It's funny how you never told us about this vision until after you backed us into a $1,000 bet.
Mock all you want, friends, but I know what I experienced.
As your coach, I have assigned each of you to an event to maximize our chances of winning.
- Mouch! - Guys, come on.
Mouch almost died.
Are we really going to deny him this? Let's see the list.
How long are we gonna be under this dead Mouch tyranny? Can I see? Hey look! It's you and me on ladder throw.
Not bad.
Oh, hey, we're teamed up for the hose stretch.
[scoffs.]
We will slay that.
Mmm.
Hey, you want to meet up at Severide's after shift? We could walk to that nearby playground? Practice? - Severide's? - Yeah, I live there now.
Up the grand staircase we go, 51! [all shout.]
Great work, buddy.
I can't wait to see what my assignment is.
- There you go.
- Mouch, this is awesome.
I'm just wondering you have me on dummy drag? And in paramedic training, we don't do dummy drags.
Don't sell yourself short.
Oh! Buddy, you got me here on the pole hang, and it's just that's not so good for me, 'cause I still got that shoulder thing, so maybe we could The bucket brigade is all lunkheads.
- I'm not doing it this year.
- Do not question the vision! [sighs.]
[grumbles.]
- Hey, Van Meter.
- Hey, Severide.
Hey, this is Matthew Casey.
Mind if we have a look around? Sure thing, just wrapping up.
You guys work this fire? Yeah.
Find the cause yet? We can confirm it started in the chemistry lab, but you knew that.
Classroom was empty, sixth period chemistry had just ended.
Somebody smelled smoke and the teacher ran back here, found a fire burning on the counter.
She tried to put it out, but it burned hot and fast, fed by the various flammables in the storage cabinet.
She probably succumbed right away, and the fire continued to spread.
How did it start? Chemicals on the counter.
Don't know what yet.
We figured maybe an experiment was left out, but then one of my guys just spotted this.
Char line? Somebody poured a stream of accelerant leading right to the door.
So arson.
We'll be escalating this to a criminal investigation.
[grunts.]
Donna was right.
Casey, isn't that where we found the teacher? Yep.
Why? What are you thinking? - Hey, Van Meter? - What do we got? These vinyl tiles are pre-code.
They should've been updated years ago.
Instead, they just slapped a layer of polyurethane down - to cover it up.
- Okay.
This is how we got our victim out.
In this direction, down this path here.
Something must have scraped the polyurethane, Maybe a carabiner on our webbing? The fire burned the exposed portion of the tiles, leaving that trail.
So this char line was formed after the fire was already burning? Definitely.
There was no accelerant here.
So, no arson.
No, you can't really blame Van Meter.
I mean, he had no way of knowing that we carved that trail he was looking at.
I'm confused.
If it wasn't accelerant, how did the fire start? It could've been improperly stored chemicals.
They had a lot of old, outdated stuff in those cabinets.
Yeah, we just gotta get the lab results.
Help me to understand this.
I sent you there to help OFI look for signs of arson, but instead you rule it out.
We didn't rule it out, Chief.
No.
Look, they were headed down a blind alley with the whole char line.
We just set them straight.
We have a teacher that may not survive.
The police are not going to put any resources into this thing until it escalates to a criminal investigation, so please, go back there.
You keep digging until you find something that can make that happen.
What if Donna's hunch is wrong? All right.
We'll take another look, Chief.
[tense music.]
I mean, really what does he want us to do? Cook up some evidence that points to arson? He just wants us to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
And if we can't find anything? Then what? You're gonna be the one that walks back in there and tells him? - It's that bad, huh? - Boden's not thinking clearly on this one.
I understand where he's coming from.
Donna could've died in that fire.
What are we supposed to do? We already checked the classroom.
OFI is processing the samples.
Talk to the chemistry students.
Donna can't get anything out of them.
Why would they talk to us? Well, they've had a few days for the shock to wear off, and the gravity to sink in.
Anyway, people trust firefighters.
They open up to us.
It's worth a try.
This is where we stuck Mrs.
Wagner's chemistry class.
Mr.
Royce, these are the firefighters who rescued Mrs.
Wagner.
Is it okay if they have a word with your kids? - Sure, of course.
- Great, thanks.
How you guys holding up? I'm sure you've heard Mrs.
Wagner is in critical condition, but please keep thinking good thoughts.
I've seen people come back from worse.
We're still trying to figure out how the fire started.
We're wondering if anyone noticed anything that might help.
Any little detail.
A Bunsen burner left on.
A chemical spill on the counter.
Saw someone go into the lab.
Anything.
Are you the one who saved that girl? No, I didn't save her.
You guys did that.
- What's your name? - Rashidi.
I heard someone screaming, so I ran in there.
Her clothes were on fire.
I just tried to put 'em out.
- How's she doing? - She's all right.
Second degree burns on her legs, but It would've been a lot worse if you weren't there to help.
[pen tapping.]
Hey, Keith Moon.
[tapping continues.]
Where were you when the fire broke out? Period's over.
Come on, Mateo.
How about a little cooperation, huh? [bell rings.]
Hey.
Takes a lot of guts to run into a fire when everyone else is running the other way.
What is it, Rashidi? Uh uh nothing.
Now I gotta get to trig.
Hey! [tense music.]
Hey, where did you find these hoses? They look pretty new.
Yeah, I told Romero I needed them for a class at the academy.
You slut! You know he has a thing for you, and you totally took advantage.
- He does not have a thing.
- Oh, don't play coy with me.
It's been way too long since we hung out.
Ugh, I know, but at least we get to work together.
Yeah, it's not the same.
We gotta try harder.
Make an effort for some girl time, you know? Yeah.
I didn't even know you moved in with Severide.
It's no big deal.
It was a last minute thing.
He kind of swooped in and saved the day.
Are you sure that's a good idea? Look, I'm not hung up on him at all, if that's what you're getting at.
Okay.
- Come on, let's see what you got.
- All right.
Rashidi was gonna say something, but one look from Mateo, and he just clammed up tight.
Yeah, he's intimidated for sure.
What's the deal with this Mateo kid? Mateo Cabrera, repeated 9th and 11th grades.
Always in trouble.
You know, fist fights, bullying.
Last year, he was suspended for starting fires in a trash can on school grounds.
Anybody know where Mateo was when it all went down? I pulled his schedule.
He had a free period right after chem lab.
Could've been anywhere.
I also found out he was one of four assigned to the lab table where the fire started.
- Hard to argue with that.
- So what happens now? I'll try and talk to Mateo.
See if he's got an alibi.
Talk to him? No, you've got to lock him up.
- Donna.
- We don't have forensics yet that makes this an arson.
You can't charge somebody without a crime.
The other students could've been killed by this kid, and now they've got to sit next to him in class? - No, that's crazy.
- Mrs.
Boden, I'm with you.
I will do what I can.
You get a confession out of him, you don't need forensics.
Okay, let's manage our expectations.
I gotta get him to talk to me first.
- One step at a time.
- Okay.
Thanks for coming by.
I'll get this.
- Thanks.
- Chief? Ah, you're all here.
Sirs, I just wanted to make sure we can count on you all for the Muster tug-of-war.
- It's kind of the big finale - Mouch.
- Yeah, Chief.
- I'm not putting my back out because you made a bet with 87.
Oh, okay.
Hey! - Hey! - What is this thing? Dummy drag practice.
I know I can get better at this.
It's all in the lift.
[grunting.]
[laughing.]
Hey, Brett! We told you to stop getting grabby with the guys around the firehouse! I've carried plenty of victims twice that size on the stair chair.
Hey, forget two hands, okay? Grab the dummy with one hand, by the wrist, and you get running! It's good forward momentum.
No way.
Two arms, backwards.
You just, you know start with a good thrust, you get going, and then use your own weight to keep the momentum moving.
Okay? - Okay.
- You're gonna do great! All right? Just takes some practice.
You're really lucky, you know that? To be part of such a close-knit group.
It's like a family.
Yeah, it is.
For better or worse, trust me.
[grunts.]
I'm gonna grab some water in the kitchen - 'cause you need it! - Thanks, Hope.
[straining.]
Hey there.
Hey, you're still in Chicago.
For another week or so.
Don't forget you made a promise we would hang out before I left.
That's not the kind of thing that slips my mind.
Good.
[laughs.]
That girl has been hanging out at the firehouse a lot lately.
What? What? Am I wrong? - No comment.
- [chime.]
Ambulance 61, person down.
8133 71st Street.
Oh, hey, Hope! I gotta go on a run, but feel free to hang out.
I'll be right back.
- Will do.
- Okay.
[suspenseful music.]
[sirens blaring.]
I'm the one who called.
I was on my way to the rec center, and I saw him on the ground.
He's taken a beating.
I can't move my arm.
Brett, isn't this the kid from the school fire? [shuddering breath.]
[grunts.]
I remember you from the school.
What's your name? My arm, man, it hurts.
His name is Rashidi.
Rashidi Taylor.
He's a lifeguard here on the weekends.
All right, Rashidi.
You're gonna be okay.
We're gonna give you some morphine, it's gonna help with the pain.
Who did this to you? I don't know.
Some kids Maybe a group of them.
No one I know, definitely.
I've never seen any of them before.
- Oh, my God.
- Hang in there, Rashidi.
She's gonna give you some morphine, and that'll kick in in a little bit.
[grunts.]
I'll call your mom, Rashidi.
We're gonna get you to climb up there, okay? Okay.
He knows who attacked him.
He just didn't want to say.
[sirens blaring.]
- Wallace! - Donna.
How did this happen? How does a thing like this happen? It's a dislocated elbow.
Rashidi's gonna be fine.
But he's denying that it's Mateo.
And you two didn't even believe me about the fire.
We just heard.
I'm sorry this happened.
Did you hear about Jamie Wagner? They just put her into a medically induced coma.
Something about having to protect lungs or something I don't know! It doesn't look good.
When is Hubble getting those lab results? You want to call OFI again? I can do more than that.
Ready, and go! - Go.
- Set! Raise it up! Ahh! - Set it down! - Yep! Lay it in! Go! Go, go, go, go! - You got this! Move it! - Come on, come on, come on! [rings bell.]
- Oh! 12 seconds! - Yeah! Best time since Spider Ferguson and his brother did 10 flat in '07! And I think they were on the juice.
How's that pole hang going, Cruz? Not great, but okay.
I'll be on the radio! [straining.]
- Whoa.
- [panting.]
I hate this dumb dummy.
He is so unmanageable.
Yeah, it sucks when they won't just do what you want them to.
Okay, let's get this guy back in the closet where he belongs.
Your friend Hope has been visiting the firehouse a lot.
Yeah, yeah.
She really likes it here.
I think she might be dealing with something back at home.
What kind of thing? I don't know.
She won't tell me, which is weird, because growing up, we shared everything.
People change.
I mean you don't notice so much when you're around them, but spend some time apart Whoa.
You look as beat up as I feel.
Muster-itis.
I'm headed to the app floor.
I'll take your dummy.
[door thuds.]
[indistinct chatter.]
[bell rings.]
Hey, Mateo.
Hey, I hear you like intimidating people.
Get the hell away from me, man.
You beat up Rashidi, and we know why.
He knows you lit that fire.
You sound like you got it all figured out.
- Oh, I do.
- So what you want from me? I want you to admit it.
Okay, sure.
I dropped Rashidi's punk ass, and I chucked a match in the chem lab.
So what? So what? Your teacher could die.
That's not my problem, man.
- Huh? - That's all you got, man? - Get off of me! - Huh? Get off! [tense music.]
[printer whirring.]
Lab results are in.
Where've you been? Went to the high school.
What did you do? - Got Mateo to confess.
- You're kidding.
Did you tell CPD or OFI? - I'm calling Hubbell.
- No, hold up, Chief.
I I don't I don't think he did it.
He said he threw a match, but wasn't it a chemical fire? Yeah, they tested the residue.
Calcium hypochlorite, and polyethylene glycol.
That's two chemicals that ignite on contact.
Why the hell is he talking about lighting a match? I don't know, but why would he confess to a crime he didn't commit? This kid is damaged.
The hell knows what makes him tick.
We don't even know if it is a crime yet.
Let's dig in.
Come on.
What's all this? OFI report on the school fire.
They calling it arson? Just the lab results, not a final determination.
- Yeah, but we know it's arson.
- How? The fire was started with chlorine and brake fluid.
Any kid with access to YouTube knows that that's a mixture that blows up.
Still, those chemicals could have come into contact accidentally.
What's brake fluid doing in a high school chemistry lab? You mean polyethylene glycol? Says here it has a lot of laboratory uses.
Chlorine is pretty common.
Yeah, but it's not pure chlorine.
It's calcium hypochlorite, that's pool chlorine.
Like as in swimming pools? Yeah.
Huh.
[dramatic music.]
[woman speaks indistinctly over PA.]
[suspenseful music.]
This wasn't supposed to happen, was it? What? One of the chemicals that started the fire was pool chlorine, which you have access to at your lifeguard job.
It wasn't supposed to get so big.
I wanted a small fire at Mateo's lab table.
He's lit one before, so maybe they kick him out of the school, and he couldn't push me around anymore.
It just exploded.
[cries.]
I didn't know what to do.
I-I tried to get everyone out of there.
I wanted to tell you in the cafeteria, but Mateo thought you were trying to blame it on him.
[cries.]
[sobs.]
[mournful music.]
I was so quick to make assumptions about Mateo.
I can understand why.
If you hadn't insisted this was arson, we might've missed it altogether.
That could've been Donna in that room.
Look, if I was too bull-headed, not rational enough, then I'm We get it, Chief.
You did good.
Didn't think I'd enjoy the Muster this much.
Yeah, winning is fun.
[both laugh.]
[cheers and applause.]
Yeah, that's right.
Keep walking, McDowell.
You gloating, Kidd? You only beat us by half a step.
Listen, I'll tell you what.
Come to Molly's tonight, I'll buy you a beer.
- You know, help dull the pain.
- You're paying, I'll be there.
Okay.
[both laugh.]
See? I am a single, fun-loving woman who can go out and sex up Chicago all I want.
I'm not hung up on Severide at all.
You know if you keep saying that, it means you're hung up on him, right? [cheering and applause.]
Hey, what do you got for us, Cruz? I got second place in the dummy drag.
Good job.
Better than third, I guess.
Mouch, I tried.
It's worth three points.
Whoa, dummy drag? I had you on pole hang! Mouch, I don't want to do what you say anymore.
Finally.
[panting.]
Look, Mouch, I love you, and I'm sorry that you almost died because of me, but I can't keep this up.
I can't keep doing everything you say all of the time.
[panting.]
Three points.
That leaves us 12 points behind 87.
Ugh, tug-of-war's only worth 10! So if nobody's doing the pole hang, that's it! 1,000 bucks! Look, Mouch.
I didn't say no one was doing the pole hang.
- I just said I wasn't.
- Huh? [straining.]
Oh yeah! Okay.
Brett! - Brett! - Yeah, Brett! - Hang in there, Brett! - Come on! Hang in there! Happy thoughts! You got this! - This big guy's got nothing! - He's sliding down! [all shouting encouragement.]
[cheers and applause.]
[straining.]
He's slipping, you're good! - Hang on! - Go for the world record! [cheers and applause.]
Are you kidding me? Oh, my God! Oh God! Four more points we can still beat 87! Firehouses 51 and 87 please report to the tug-of-war arena.
This is it! All the marbles! - Get done! - Just go big! Come on! [cheers and applause.]
Oh, bad news, Mouch! - Nazarko? - Our secret weapon.
No, no, no, no.
He's not active duty.
- He just had his stomach stapled! - He's back at work next shift.
The doc signed off.
Deal with it.
- We're done for.
- 'Scuse me.
Hey! Not so fast! - Yeah! - It is on now! [all cheering and shouting.]
- Whoo! - Yeah! What are we waiting for? Yeah! Yes! [whistle blows.]
[cheering and straining.]
- Come on 51! - Dig! Come on, dig! Come on! Come on, 51! [all straining.]
[knocking on door.]
Hey, hey, hey.
You're off the hook.
Listen, I know what it's like when everybody already has their mind made up about you.
Sometimes it's easier just to let them think the worst.
It doesn't have to be like that.
You decide who you are.
Not them.
But you can't go around beating people up every time you feel disrespected.
It'll take you down a dark road.
Trust me.
You got a second chance here, Mateo.
Don't blow it.
Yo! The teacher.
Is she gonna make it? Things are looking up.
[somber music.]
4548 West Quincy.
That's Donna's school! - Donna! - Wallace! [coughing.]
I got her! Hey, if you can move, move! Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Mrs.
Wagner went in for a second surgery, and it is still critical.
Fire wasn't an accident.
I have successfully signed up Firehouse 51 for the Firefighter Muster! This is just for a few weeks.
Feel free to do whatever you need to do.
I'm Hope, Sylvie's friend.
I just wanted you to know that you can text me anytime.
[rock and roll music.]
See? I knew this roomie situation was gonna work out great.
[sipping coffee.]
Cheers.
[chuckles.]
[sighs.]
Well, I didn't lie, right? Over Easy's the best breakfast in Chicago.
Totally.
I'm telling you, I love every part of this city.
Feels so good to get out of Fowlerton.
Even if it was just for a little bit.
Is everything okay back at home? Yeah, it's fine.
It's just you know Fowlerton.
Come on, you bum! Move your tail! - Shift's starting! - [laughter.]
Hey, Hope.
Hi, Otis! I'm so sorry about these buffoons! Thank you for the ride, and I hope you enjoy Sears Tower.
Thanks.
I will.
Really mature behavior, as usual.
You guys jumped like a foot out of your seats.
Yeah, any chance you had with Hope is gone.
What? No, women love that kind of stuff.
I'm a woman.
Mmm not in those pants.
[laughter.]
[melancholy music.]
Donna believes the fire was intentionally set.
Did one of the students see what happened? No.
Nobody was there when it started.
But after the fire, when we were outside the school, the way the chem lab students were whispering to each other it's like they knew something.
Did you hear anything specific? Any names? - Anything? - No.
A lot of the faculty have reached out.
We brought in a counselor, but none of these students will talk.
So you think one of the students did this? Yeah.
I just don't know which one, and if any of the others saw it happen.
Look, I know all of this sounds really vague, but Donna's instincts with the case are dead on.
She says they're hiding something, then they are.
What does OFI say? They're still investigating the scene.
I just spoke with Lt.
Hubble.
She says with all the chemicals stored in the lab, and all the gas lines, they're just going to go under the assumption that it was an accident, unless we find evidence of arson.
Meanwhile, Jamie Wagner is in the hospital with burns all over her body.
I'd like you two to go to the school.
Make sure OFI doesn't miss anything.
Yeah, you got it, Chief.
Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, motor vehicle accident on Lakeshore Drive and Lincoln.
We'll do everything we can.
[sirens blaring.]
[tires screeching.]
[brakes hiss.]
Great, squad's here.
C'mon, Severide, let us have some fun once in a while.
You think I want to break a sweat, Labedzki? - Where's your lieutenant? - Down below.
Hey, Wolanski! We got Truck 81 and Squad 3 here.
Just let us know where you want us.
Okay, stand by.
I'm gonna get this driver stabilized [snapping.]
Get out of there! [screaming.]
Need some help here! 81! We need some weight on that back end! Kidd, secure the wreck to our tow hook! - Copy! - And Cruz, let's grab some airbags.
Airbags! Copy! [all grunting.]
Hey, Wolanski! Look at me! How are you feeling? Good, just pull me out.
- Okay.
- Worth a try.
[straining.]
He's not moving.
Let's hurry up with those airbags! [grunts.]
It's getting harder to breathe! I keep telling you, Wolanski.
Lay off the donuts! Don't make me laugh.
I'll break a rib.
- [crunching.]
- [screaming.]
What's happening over there? Sorry, lieutenant! Get it together, 81! What the hell? Easy, Labedzki, it was nobody's fault.
- Yeah, right! - Come on, Kidd! - Ready? - Almost there! - Got it! - All right.
Let me know when you're ready, Cruz.
Good to go.
All right, up on one.
[air hissing.]
All right, up on two! [air hissing.]
All right, all right.
- Okay, on three, pull.
Ready? - Yep.
One two three! Dawson, Brett! I'm okay.
- Don't move.
Don't move.
- I'm okay.
We gotta make sure.
No, I'm okay.
Don't worry about me.
Take care of the driver.
[grunts.]
[panting.]
Thank you.
- He's stabilized.
- All yours, guys.
- Watch his head.
- You got him? You're welcome! Hey Mouch, how many people of the Polish persuasion does it take to rescue an injured motorist? Are you funny now? You a comedian? Hey, relax, Labedzki.
I'm just checking your hearing.
Boy, you guys from 51 really think you're God's gift, don't you? We bailed you out.
Be gracious about it.
[all shouting at once.]
Hey! Hey! Let's put all this aggression where it belongs: on the field at the All-Chicago Semi-Annual Firefighter Muster! Are you kidding? We'll knock you on your ass.
1,000 bucks says otherwise.
- Uh Wait what? Mouch - 100 bucks a man.
You're on.
May the best house win.
You're welcome.
I'm gonna visit Jamie after work.
Doctor says she's still having a hard time breathing.
- Sorry to hear that.
- Yeah.
I'll join you.
How are you supposed to hold class when most of the second floor is destroyed? Math and science are in the cafeteria for a few months while they rebuild.
Some of those kids were in the chem lab.
Maybe if I wasn't new here, or had a smarter approach, they'd talk to me.
Ellie, you've done all that you can.
Doesn't feel like it.
Whoever started the fire is still in there somewhere.
You still sure about that? You may know fires, Wallace, but I know kids.
You have to trust me.
I do.
[somber music.]
I haven't told anyone about this, not even Trudy, but when my heart stopped, when I was going into the light, I saw something.
I saw that I was surrounded by all the people of 51.
We were hand in hand, helping each other ascend a grand staircase, which rose up towards a golden chalice.
Only now do I understand the meaning of this vision.
We are going to win the Firefighter Muster.
It's funny how you never told us about this vision until after you backed us into a $1,000 bet.
Mock all you want, friends, but I know what I experienced.
As your coach, I have assigned each of you to an event to maximize our chances of winning.
- Mouch! - Guys, come on.
Mouch almost died.
Are we really going to deny him this? Let's see the list.
How long are we gonna be under this dead Mouch tyranny? Can I see? Hey look! It's you and me on ladder throw.
Not bad.
Oh, hey, we're teamed up for the hose stretch.
[scoffs.]
We will slay that.
Mmm.
Hey, you want to meet up at Severide's after shift? We could walk to that nearby playground? Practice? - Severide's? - Yeah, I live there now.
Up the grand staircase we go, 51! [all shout.]
Great work, buddy.
I can't wait to see what my assignment is.
- There you go.
- Mouch, this is awesome.
I'm just wondering you have me on dummy drag? And in paramedic training, we don't do dummy drags.
Don't sell yourself short.
Oh! Buddy, you got me here on the pole hang, and it's just that's not so good for me, 'cause I still got that shoulder thing, so maybe we could The bucket brigade is all lunkheads.
- I'm not doing it this year.
- Do not question the vision! [sighs.]
[grumbles.]
- Hey, Van Meter.
- Hey, Severide.
Hey, this is Matthew Casey.
Mind if we have a look around? Sure thing, just wrapping up.
You guys work this fire? Yeah.
Find the cause yet? We can confirm it started in the chemistry lab, but you knew that.
Classroom was empty, sixth period chemistry had just ended.
Somebody smelled smoke and the teacher ran back here, found a fire burning on the counter.
She tried to put it out, but it burned hot and fast, fed by the various flammables in the storage cabinet.
She probably succumbed right away, and the fire continued to spread.
How did it start? Chemicals on the counter.
Don't know what yet.
We figured maybe an experiment was left out, but then one of my guys just spotted this.
Char line? Somebody poured a stream of accelerant leading right to the door.
So arson.
We'll be escalating this to a criminal investigation.
[grunts.]
Donna was right.
Casey, isn't that where we found the teacher? Yep.
Why? What are you thinking? - Hey, Van Meter? - What do we got? These vinyl tiles are pre-code.
They should've been updated years ago.
Instead, they just slapped a layer of polyurethane down - to cover it up.
- Okay.
This is how we got our victim out.
In this direction, down this path here.
Something must have scraped the polyurethane, Maybe a carabiner on our webbing? The fire burned the exposed portion of the tiles, leaving that trail.
So this char line was formed after the fire was already burning? Definitely.
There was no accelerant here.
So, no arson.
No, you can't really blame Van Meter.
I mean, he had no way of knowing that we carved that trail he was looking at.
I'm confused.
If it wasn't accelerant, how did the fire start? It could've been improperly stored chemicals.
They had a lot of old, outdated stuff in those cabinets.
Yeah, we just gotta get the lab results.
Help me to understand this.
I sent you there to help OFI look for signs of arson, but instead you rule it out.
We didn't rule it out, Chief.
No.
Look, they were headed down a blind alley with the whole char line.
We just set them straight.
We have a teacher that may not survive.
The police are not going to put any resources into this thing until it escalates to a criminal investigation, so please, go back there.
You keep digging until you find something that can make that happen.
What if Donna's hunch is wrong? All right.
We'll take another look, Chief.
[tense music.]
I mean, really what does he want us to do? Cook up some evidence that points to arson? He just wants us to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
And if we can't find anything? Then what? You're gonna be the one that walks back in there and tells him? - It's that bad, huh? - Boden's not thinking clearly on this one.
I understand where he's coming from.
Donna could've died in that fire.
What are we supposed to do? We already checked the classroom.
OFI is processing the samples.
Talk to the chemistry students.
Donna can't get anything out of them.
Why would they talk to us? Well, they've had a few days for the shock to wear off, and the gravity to sink in.
Anyway, people trust firefighters.
They open up to us.
It's worth a try.
This is where we stuck Mrs.
Wagner's chemistry class.
Mr.
Royce, these are the firefighters who rescued Mrs.
Wagner.
Is it okay if they have a word with your kids? - Sure, of course.
- Great, thanks.
How you guys holding up? I'm sure you've heard Mrs.
Wagner is in critical condition, but please keep thinking good thoughts.
I've seen people come back from worse.
We're still trying to figure out how the fire started.
We're wondering if anyone noticed anything that might help.
Any little detail.
A Bunsen burner left on.
A chemical spill on the counter.
Saw someone go into the lab.
Anything.
Are you the one who saved that girl? No, I didn't save her.
You guys did that.
- What's your name? - Rashidi.
I heard someone screaming, so I ran in there.
Her clothes were on fire.
I just tried to put 'em out.
- How's she doing? - She's all right.
Second degree burns on her legs, but It would've been a lot worse if you weren't there to help.
[pen tapping.]
Hey, Keith Moon.
[tapping continues.]
Where were you when the fire broke out? Period's over.
Come on, Mateo.
How about a little cooperation, huh? [bell rings.]
Hey.
Takes a lot of guts to run into a fire when everyone else is running the other way.
What is it, Rashidi? Uh uh nothing.
Now I gotta get to trig.
Hey! [tense music.]
Hey, where did you find these hoses? They look pretty new.
Yeah, I told Romero I needed them for a class at the academy.
You slut! You know he has a thing for you, and you totally took advantage.
- He does not have a thing.
- Oh, don't play coy with me.
It's been way too long since we hung out.
Ugh, I know, but at least we get to work together.
Yeah, it's not the same.
We gotta try harder.
Make an effort for some girl time, you know? Yeah.
I didn't even know you moved in with Severide.
It's no big deal.
It was a last minute thing.
He kind of swooped in and saved the day.
Are you sure that's a good idea? Look, I'm not hung up on him at all, if that's what you're getting at.
Okay.
- Come on, let's see what you got.
- All right.
Rashidi was gonna say something, but one look from Mateo, and he just clammed up tight.
Yeah, he's intimidated for sure.
What's the deal with this Mateo kid? Mateo Cabrera, repeated 9th and 11th grades.
Always in trouble.
You know, fist fights, bullying.
Last year, he was suspended for starting fires in a trash can on school grounds.
Anybody know where Mateo was when it all went down? I pulled his schedule.
He had a free period right after chem lab.
Could've been anywhere.
I also found out he was one of four assigned to the lab table where the fire started.
- Hard to argue with that.
- So what happens now? I'll try and talk to Mateo.
See if he's got an alibi.
Talk to him? No, you've got to lock him up.
- Donna.
- We don't have forensics yet that makes this an arson.
You can't charge somebody without a crime.
The other students could've been killed by this kid, and now they've got to sit next to him in class? - No, that's crazy.
- Mrs.
Boden, I'm with you.
I will do what I can.
You get a confession out of him, you don't need forensics.
Okay, let's manage our expectations.
I gotta get him to talk to me first.
- One step at a time.
- Okay.
Thanks for coming by.
I'll get this.
- Thanks.
- Chief? Ah, you're all here.
Sirs, I just wanted to make sure we can count on you all for the Muster tug-of-war.
- It's kind of the big finale - Mouch.
- Yeah, Chief.
- I'm not putting my back out because you made a bet with 87.
Oh, okay.
Hey! - Hey! - What is this thing? Dummy drag practice.
I know I can get better at this.
It's all in the lift.
[grunting.]
[laughing.]
Hey, Brett! We told you to stop getting grabby with the guys around the firehouse! I've carried plenty of victims twice that size on the stair chair.
Hey, forget two hands, okay? Grab the dummy with one hand, by the wrist, and you get running! It's good forward momentum.
No way.
Two arms, backwards.
You just, you know start with a good thrust, you get going, and then use your own weight to keep the momentum moving.
Okay? - Okay.
- You're gonna do great! All right? Just takes some practice.
You're really lucky, you know that? To be part of such a close-knit group.
It's like a family.
Yeah, it is.
For better or worse, trust me.
[grunts.]
I'm gonna grab some water in the kitchen - 'cause you need it! - Thanks, Hope.
[straining.]
Hey there.
Hey, you're still in Chicago.
For another week or so.
Don't forget you made a promise we would hang out before I left.
That's not the kind of thing that slips my mind.
Good.
[laughs.]
That girl has been hanging out at the firehouse a lot lately.
What? What? Am I wrong? - No comment.
- [chime.]
Ambulance 61, person down.
8133 71st Street.
Oh, hey, Hope! I gotta go on a run, but feel free to hang out.
I'll be right back.
- Will do.
- Okay.
[suspenseful music.]
[sirens blaring.]
I'm the one who called.
I was on my way to the rec center, and I saw him on the ground.
He's taken a beating.
I can't move my arm.
Brett, isn't this the kid from the school fire? [shuddering breath.]
[grunts.]
I remember you from the school.
What's your name? My arm, man, it hurts.
His name is Rashidi.
Rashidi Taylor.
He's a lifeguard here on the weekends.
All right, Rashidi.
You're gonna be okay.
We're gonna give you some morphine, it's gonna help with the pain.
Who did this to you? I don't know.
Some kids Maybe a group of them.
No one I know, definitely.
I've never seen any of them before.
- Oh, my God.
- Hang in there, Rashidi.
She's gonna give you some morphine, and that'll kick in in a little bit.
[grunts.]
I'll call your mom, Rashidi.
We're gonna get you to climb up there, okay? Okay.
He knows who attacked him.
He just didn't want to say.
[sirens blaring.]
- Wallace! - Donna.
How did this happen? How does a thing like this happen? It's a dislocated elbow.
Rashidi's gonna be fine.
But he's denying that it's Mateo.
And you two didn't even believe me about the fire.
We just heard.
I'm sorry this happened.
Did you hear about Jamie Wagner? They just put her into a medically induced coma.
Something about having to protect lungs or something I don't know! It doesn't look good.
When is Hubble getting those lab results? You want to call OFI again? I can do more than that.
Ready, and go! - Go.
- Set! Raise it up! Ahh! - Set it down! - Yep! Lay it in! Go! Go, go, go, go! - You got this! Move it! - Come on, come on, come on! [rings bell.]
- Oh! 12 seconds! - Yeah! Best time since Spider Ferguson and his brother did 10 flat in '07! And I think they were on the juice.
How's that pole hang going, Cruz? Not great, but okay.
I'll be on the radio! [straining.]
- Whoa.
- [panting.]
I hate this dumb dummy.
He is so unmanageable.
Yeah, it sucks when they won't just do what you want them to.
Okay, let's get this guy back in the closet where he belongs.
Your friend Hope has been visiting the firehouse a lot.
Yeah, yeah.
She really likes it here.
I think she might be dealing with something back at home.
What kind of thing? I don't know.
She won't tell me, which is weird, because growing up, we shared everything.
People change.
I mean you don't notice so much when you're around them, but spend some time apart Whoa.
You look as beat up as I feel.
Muster-itis.
I'm headed to the app floor.
I'll take your dummy.
[door thuds.]
[indistinct chatter.]
[bell rings.]
Hey, Mateo.
Hey, I hear you like intimidating people.
Get the hell away from me, man.
You beat up Rashidi, and we know why.
He knows you lit that fire.
You sound like you got it all figured out.
- Oh, I do.
- So what you want from me? I want you to admit it.
Okay, sure.
I dropped Rashidi's punk ass, and I chucked a match in the chem lab.
So what? So what? Your teacher could die.
That's not my problem, man.
- Huh? - That's all you got, man? - Get off of me! - Huh? Get off! [tense music.]
[printer whirring.]
Lab results are in.
Where've you been? Went to the high school.
What did you do? - Got Mateo to confess.
- You're kidding.
Did you tell CPD or OFI? - I'm calling Hubbell.
- No, hold up, Chief.
I I don't I don't think he did it.
He said he threw a match, but wasn't it a chemical fire? Yeah, they tested the residue.
Calcium hypochlorite, and polyethylene glycol.
That's two chemicals that ignite on contact.
Why the hell is he talking about lighting a match? I don't know, but why would he confess to a crime he didn't commit? This kid is damaged.
The hell knows what makes him tick.
We don't even know if it is a crime yet.
Let's dig in.
Come on.
What's all this? OFI report on the school fire.
They calling it arson? Just the lab results, not a final determination.
- Yeah, but we know it's arson.
- How? The fire was started with chlorine and brake fluid.
Any kid with access to YouTube knows that that's a mixture that blows up.
Still, those chemicals could have come into contact accidentally.
What's brake fluid doing in a high school chemistry lab? You mean polyethylene glycol? Says here it has a lot of laboratory uses.
Chlorine is pretty common.
Yeah, but it's not pure chlorine.
It's calcium hypochlorite, that's pool chlorine.
Like as in swimming pools? Yeah.
Huh.
[dramatic music.]
[woman speaks indistinctly over PA.]
[suspenseful music.]
This wasn't supposed to happen, was it? What? One of the chemicals that started the fire was pool chlorine, which you have access to at your lifeguard job.
It wasn't supposed to get so big.
I wanted a small fire at Mateo's lab table.
He's lit one before, so maybe they kick him out of the school, and he couldn't push me around anymore.
It just exploded.
[cries.]
I didn't know what to do.
I-I tried to get everyone out of there.
I wanted to tell you in the cafeteria, but Mateo thought you were trying to blame it on him.
[cries.]
[sobs.]
[mournful music.]
I was so quick to make assumptions about Mateo.
I can understand why.
If you hadn't insisted this was arson, we might've missed it altogether.
That could've been Donna in that room.
Look, if I was too bull-headed, not rational enough, then I'm We get it, Chief.
You did good.
Didn't think I'd enjoy the Muster this much.
Yeah, winning is fun.
[both laugh.]
[cheers and applause.]
Yeah, that's right.
Keep walking, McDowell.
You gloating, Kidd? You only beat us by half a step.
Listen, I'll tell you what.
Come to Molly's tonight, I'll buy you a beer.
- You know, help dull the pain.
- You're paying, I'll be there.
Okay.
[both laugh.]
See? I am a single, fun-loving woman who can go out and sex up Chicago all I want.
I'm not hung up on Severide at all.
You know if you keep saying that, it means you're hung up on him, right? [cheering and applause.]
Hey, what do you got for us, Cruz? I got second place in the dummy drag.
Good job.
Better than third, I guess.
Mouch, I tried.
It's worth three points.
Whoa, dummy drag? I had you on pole hang! Mouch, I don't want to do what you say anymore.
Finally.
[panting.]
Look, Mouch, I love you, and I'm sorry that you almost died because of me, but I can't keep this up.
I can't keep doing everything you say all of the time.
[panting.]
Three points.
That leaves us 12 points behind 87.
Ugh, tug-of-war's only worth 10! So if nobody's doing the pole hang, that's it! 1,000 bucks! Look, Mouch.
I didn't say no one was doing the pole hang.
- I just said I wasn't.
- Huh? [straining.]
Oh yeah! Okay.
Brett! - Brett! - Yeah, Brett! - Hang in there, Brett! - Come on! Hang in there! Happy thoughts! You got this! - This big guy's got nothing! - He's sliding down! [all shouting encouragement.]
[cheers and applause.]
[straining.]
He's slipping, you're good! - Hang on! - Go for the world record! [cheers and applause.]
Are you kidding me? Oh, my God! Oh God! Four more points we can still beat 87! Firehouses 51 and 87 please report to the tug-of-war arena.
This is it! All the marbles! - Get done! - Just go big! Come on! [cheers and applause.]
Oh, bad news, Mouch! - Nazarko? - Our secret weapon.
No, no, no, no.
He's not active duty.
- He just had his stomach stapled! - He's back at work next shift.
The doc signed off.
Deal with it.
- We're done for.
- 'Scuse me.
Hey! Not so fast! - Yeah! - It is on now! [all cheering and shouting.]
- Whoo! - Yeah! What are we waiting for? Yeah! Yes! [whistle blows.]
[cheering and straining.]
- Come on 51! - Dig! Come on, dig! Come on! Come on, 51! [all straining.]
[knocking on door.]
Hey, hey, hey.
You're off the hook.
Listen, I know what it's like when everybody already has their mind made up about you.
Sometimes it's easier just to let them think the worst.
It doesn't have to be like that.
You decide who you are.
Not them.
But you can't go around beating people up every time you feel disrespected.
It'll take you down a dark road.
Trust me.
You got a second chance here, Mateo.
Don't blow it.
Yo! The teacher.
Is she gonna make it? Things are looking up.
[somber music.]