"Thank you for these last few months." "No, no, no." "Don't do that." " Stay right here and look at me." " I love you." "No." "Don't go." "You guys, you gotta help her." "9:21 a.m." "I said go get me a beer!" " Hey, time to go." " Hey, man, take it easy." "Buddy, we gotta get you to a hospital quick." "Get away from me!" "Sam Farage had surgery today." "He's in recovery." "I watched three men die." "And now I'm done with the CFD." "I know if there's a way back from where you are right now, it's through this house." "Well, strictly speaking, the bunks are all first-come-first-serve, but everybody kind of has a favorite." "The mattress nearest the locker room smells like low tide." "Good to know." "So," "Severide isn't taking any time off?" "No, and we're glad." "It's better if we can keep an eye on him." "He doesn't really take good care of himself." "I can relate." "Hey!" "What is it, nap time already?" "Get your asses in gear." "I want these tanks topped off at 4500 PSI, test your regulators." "Good morning, Lieutenant." "I just wanted to say thanks for taking a chance on me." " I won't let you down." " Yeah, I hope not." "Hey," "I also wanted to extend my condolences." "Your visor's filthy, Kannell." "There's wipes on the dash." "Copy that." "Joe Cruz," "Chief wants you in his office." "Thanks, Connie." " Everything okay, Chief?" " Close the door, please." "No, I'm afraid not." "I've just been informed by Chief Walker that you've been charged with conduct unbecoming." "What?" "Why?" "Seems to be the result of a dust-up at a club where you work." "How did that guy even know that I'm CFD?" "I make sure not to wear anything with a department logo." "Yeah." "Do me a favor." "Roll up your left sleeve." "Damn." " I never thought..." " There will be a hearing... to determine the response of the CFD." "That could result in anything from a slap on the wrist to..." "Being dismissed from the Department." "Whoa." "I could get fired for this?" "That's insane, Chief, I didn't do anything wrong." "I'm sorry, Cruz." "I wish that there was something I could do, but that is out of my hands." "They will call you today to clarify all this, and then you can decide how you want to proceed." "Why?" "Squad 3, person trapped, 1410 Museum Campus Drive." "Ooh, hell yeah." "I feel like Sweetness, about to hit the gridiron." "Squad 3 catch a lot of runs here?" "Hey, this way." "I don't know how much longer he can hold out." " What happened?" " Our electrician, Dennis..." "I guess he got too comfortable up there, wasn't paying attention." "He took a step backwards and just went right over." "I swear I thought he was dead." " Where is he?" " Lieutenant... up top." "Damn." "Hey, Dennis!" "Try not to move." "We're almost there." " Okay." " Shake a leg, guys." "Hey, Cruz, get two lines ready." "You and me, we're gonna rappel down either side of him." "Hey, Kannell's ready to go." "You want to give him a shot?" " You good?" " I'm good." "Get your harness on." "There you go." " You did it, Dennis." " Gotcha." "Hey!" "Hey!" " Hey, hey, hey!" " God!" "I got you, I got you." " Try and get his arm for me." " Got it." "Stay still, stay still." " Got it." " All right." "He's out." "Easy." "There you go." "There you go, you're good." "You guys are gonna want to check out his right arm." " Got it, watch your step." " Thank you." "Reach down the gurney, okay?" "Nice work, Lieutenant." "Next time, descend with me in case I run into trouble." "Right." "You got it." "Porter." "Hey!" "There's my buddy!" "They let you old retired guys" " loiter around?" " Believe it or not," "I'm here in a professional capacity." "I got a job with KW Systems selling gas detectors." "I just showed one to your boss." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "Best move I ever made." "Money's good, and I still get to be around CFD, but without running into fires and humping equipment on these old knees." "I hear you." "Yeah, I wrenched my knee pretty good in that Kimball fire." "It took a lot longer to heal up than it used to." "This job might be a great fit for you, too, you know?" "Nah, I'm not there yet." "I got a while to go before I hang up my helmet." "All right." "If you say so." "But comes a time when age catches up to you on this job." "You sure as heck don't want to be the last to realize it." "Take care, Mouch." "Yeah, you too, Nick." "Boy, sure worked up a sweat going up and down them stadium stairs." "Joe, time to break in the dryer." " Yeah, sure." " Yes!" "Make room!" "Ta-da!" "Joe, tell him how it works." "It's pretty basic, actually." "There's a heating element in the box." "Forces air up through the pipes, and..." " No more sweaty jackets." " Pretty sweet." "Hey, man." "There was only four of us when we decided to build this thing... but you..." "we can trade off." "Nah, man, it's cool." " Come on." " I'm good." "Yeah, yeah." "This is Joe Cruz." "Hey." "How's first shift going?" "Great." "Just caught a wild run." "Big rope rescue at Soldier Field." " Cool." " Very." "Aya Farage says that you're gonna introduce some kind of measure to help first responders." "Yeah." "When I heard what Sam's family is going through... all the expenses due to his injuries... the idea hit me." "You think the bill's got a shot?" "Maybe." "I've got a group of aldermen willing to throw their support behind it." "Thanks for fighting the good fight." "Well... don't tank me yet." "Mouch, I need your help." "I just got off the phone with the CFD, and this, conduct unbecoming charge?" "They're saying I'm looking at 60 days suspension or more." " That's nuts!" " This guy, Davey, just keeps telling them he's gonna sue the department if they don't do something." "Mouch, he was drunk and acting crazy." "I was just trying to get him out of there" " before he hurt somebody." " Which was your job." "I can't get suspended right now." "'Cause I'm already low on cash 'cause of the school loan to Leon, this..." "I mean, this'll ruin me." "Take it easy." "I'll talk to Jerry Gorsky, the legal guy at CFD." " You think he can help?" " Absolutely." "He and I handled a bunch of overblown charges like this when I was interim Union President." "Got most of 'em dropped." "You think that's a possibility here?" "I do." "Aww!" "I can't thank you enough, Mouch." " Dad..." " Gabriela..." " come here." " What?" "It's a sad day when a man has to show up at his daughter's job just to see how she's doing." "Yeah, sorry I haven't called in a while." "It's... it's been hectic." "There's no need for apologies." "I just wanted to get a look at you." "Gabriela, I know you blame me for the divorce..." "Yeah, well, you're the one who wanted it." "Well, your mother may have resisted it at first, but now she's happier." "You can see that." "Yeah, she's..." "she's doing well now, yeah, but it wasn't easy." "For either of us." "I mean, she gets to see you and I don't?" "Come on." "You can't avoid your Papa forever." "Everyone makes mistakes, right?" "I'll call you next week." "We'll find a night where we can grab some dinner." "I'd love that." "Chief, what's up?" "Come on in, Severide." "Hey, Anna's parents wanted me to thank you for the flowers." "Yeah." "No worry." "Yeah." "Well," "I just want to check in on you." "See how Kannell is working out." " Pretty good so far." " Glad to hear it." "So my hope is that CFD will let us keep the five man squad, so we have to do the best we can to make him feel at home." "Has he been complaining about anything?" " No." " Severide, we're just looking out for you and Kannell." "You've both been through a lot, and..." "Yeah, we have, but here I am, ready to do my job." "If Kannell is not, he ought to stay home." "This is a firehouse." "It's not group therapy." " I'm sure he's ready." " Great." "Then get off my back." "Let me put him to work." "You don't have to make a new pot." "That's not decaf." "We don't make decaf here." "Like, ever." "Thanks." "I'm sorry." "It is decaf." "I was..." "I was pranking you." " That's your idea of a prank?" " Yeah." "What do you want from me?" "I'm not very good at them." "Well, that's too bad because I am." "And you just drew first blood." "Jeez." "Be afraid." "Well, who is this fine-looking gentleman?" "When a first responder gets severely injured on the job, workman's comp rarely covers all costs that his family faces." "Hey, Lieutenant." "At a firehouse, we do a thing where we pass a boot around to raise money for the family of an injured firefighter." " That really how I smile?" " You look great." "But this measure gives the citizens of Chicago a way to pass the boot for their first responders." "Hey, well said, Lieutenant." " Yeah." " However, not everyone sees this measure in such simple terms." "Matt Casey isn't just an alderman." "He is also a lieutenant with the Chicago Fire Department." "Okay, who's this phony?" "So when he says, "We need to earmark funds for our first responders,"" "what he's really talking about is lining the pockets of his fellow firefighters." "Smells an awful lot like self-dealing to me." "It's unethical." "This city of Chicago deserves better." "What does this guy have against firefighters?" "We're lovable heroes." "I wouldn't worry about this guy." "Comes across like a jackass." "I just heard from Capp and Tony." "When were you gonna tell me about this conduct unbecoming charge?" "It's a total scam, Lieutenant." "It's just this stupid incident that happened when I was on this bouncer gig." "Mouch says I'm not gonna get suspended or anything." "Cruz, I don't care." "If something like that happens, you gotta come talk to me." "Yeah, you're right." "I should've, I..." "I just figured this is the last thing that you need to deal with right now." "You're right." "Jerry, Mouch again." "Haven't heard back from you and it's a time-sensitive matter, so give me a call." "Please." "Thanks." "What's wrong?" "With these bogus charges," "I used to just make an appointment with Jerry, bring him a bottle of steak sauce from Gibson's, and explain what really happened." "He red lines the complaint, and the charges get dropped." "But he's not calling me back." "You know, the voice sounds different on his voicemail." "Maybe he changed extensions." "Never got the message." " I better tell Cruz." " No." "No, no, no, no, no." "That'll just freak him out." "You know what?" "I'll go straight to the CFD offices after shift, find Jerry, and clear this whole thing up face to face." "Hey." "What's the latest with your guy?" "Everything's going gangbusters on that front." "Gonna meet with him tomorrow and set this right." "You're the best." "Ambulance 61, well-being check." "2252 West 12th Street." "Well-being check?" "Three of my least favorite words." "I'll give you my usual two-to-one odds." "It's a DOA." "Phil... he lives alone." "Nice man." "Epileptic." "Okay, here it is." "So Phil has a grown son in Michigan who hasn't been able to reach him, so he called me concerned." "Not concerned enough to visit, mind you, just concerned enough" " to make it my problem." " Well, we're here to help." "Chicago Fire Department!" "Anybody here?" "Phil?" "Is anything hurting, Phil?" "Don't know." " Are you on any medication?" " No, wha..." "Do you have something in your mouth, sir?" "Wha..." "I'm gonna need you to spit that out, sir." "Whatever it is." "Sir, you could choke if you don't..." "I can't!" "Okay, well, what is that?" "Wow." "That is a-a strong odor." "Is it stuck?" "Let me see if I can..." "Agh!" "It's his tongue." "Jeez!" "God." "Okay." "Okay." "Okay." "Okay." "So you bit your tongue at some point and gangrene set in?" "You've been lying here a while?" "We're gonna get some fluids in you, get you hydrated, and they can treat your tongue with antibiotics at the hospital, so that's where we're gonna take you, okay?" "Okay." "Deep breath in." "Now, Phil, we're gonna need you to get up and get in the chair here." "Can you do that?" "All right, here we go." "You good?" "Good job." "There's no way they're saving that tongue." "I'm gonna swing by my dad's place after shift." "Show him a little love." "Hey..." "Excuse me." " Can I help you?" " Yeah, sorry." "I was looking for Jerry Gorsky." "Did he... did he move offices?" "Jerry retired." " I had no idea." " I'm the new CFD legal counsel." "Here to help." " Eric Hanover." " Good to meet you, Hanover." "I'm Randall McHolland." "Sure." "I remember your brief tenure as interim Union President." "Okay." "I'm here to get your help with a firefighter at my house." " Joe Cruz?" " Yes." "I was just reading about his case." "Yeah, it's a real bogus charge." "Cruz is a top-notch firefighter, and a great guy." "He was just doing his job when he escorted that very intoxicated patron off the premises." "Which is why no criminal charges have been filed against him." "So I hope you'll agree the CFD has no reason to pursue this conduct unbecoming charge." "I know Jerry had a particular way of doing things, but he's not here anymore." "Optics are important, and going forward, we have no intention of making a claim disappear simply because a firefighter may be a good guy." "The merits of the case should be the focus." "See, I don't know about "optics,"" "but the merits of the case are exactly what I'm talking about." "Cruz didn't do anything wrong." "And that's what he can state at the hearing." "So... you're just going to take the word of a drunken clubgoer over a decorated firefighter?" "Like I said, the CFD needs to protect its image and its reputation." "It's just frustrating, Tamara." "This is a good measure." "It would actually make a difference in people's lives." "You don't have to convince me, Matt." "It never occurred to me somebody would try to characterize it as self-dealing." "Well, that's 'cause you're not as cynical as most politicians." "Blakeslee is gonna warp public perception of this thing before it ever gets the vote." "You know, a good friend of mine knows him." "I'll bet she could get him to take a call from me." "That is if you don't mind me sticking my nose in..." "No, no." "I-I don't mind at all, but what makes you think he'll listen to you?" "Well, I got you to run for office, didn't I?" "Yeah." "I'll never understand why you did that." "You're much better suited for the job than me." "Yeah, but then I couldn't shoot my mouth off, and that's my favorite pastime." "Wow, you look beat, buddy." "I just spent the past five hours poring over CFD regulations, and there's some precedence that works in his favor, but I haven't even broken the news to Cruz that he has to face a hearing." "You know, just ease into it." "Nice and slow." "Casual, like it hasn't even registered as a problem yet." "Right." "Easy, casual conversation." " Slowly get around to it." " Yeah." "Hey, how'd it go?" "I can't get him to toss the charge." "What?" "But this could actually be better." "Better than what?" "A firing squad?" "No, no, no." "Listen to me." "Going to the hearing gives you a chance to speak directly to the brass and clear your name." "I'll represent you on behalf of the union, and we'll make sure they understand these charges are totally unwarranted." "Well, what if they disagree?" "We'll make them agree." "I've been reading up." "We can do this." "But you also said we can get the whole thing tossed, so..." "There's some new hotshot in Jerry's office trying to make a name for himself... that's all." "This is different, this is direct to the top at a hearing." "Sounds nerve-racking." "We'll take care of this." "Together." "I promise." "All right." "Yeah, all right, no." " I'ma try and stay positive." " There you go." "It's a hell of a lot of money, Ramon." " Stop messing around!" " I said I'd figure it out." "You have no right just barging into my home!" "And let me tell you someth..." "Gabriela, what are you doing here?" "Well, I thought I'd stop by, see you for..." "Yeah, but you don't just come over without calling, all right?" "Like you did at the firehouse?" " Look, honey..." " Dad, what's going on?" " All right, I'll call you..." " Dad, what's going on?" "I'll call you tomorrow." "You just need to go." "All right?" "Please, just go." " I don't care, I want my money." " Lower your voice in my home!" "I'm not!" "I want my money now!" "Just go!" "Stella, hey." "Look, I'm just gonna guess what's happening in that apartment." "There's an open beer." "Probably your third or fourth." "There's a game on TV that you're not really paying attention to, or better yet," ""SportsCenter."" "And, an empty fridge." "It's only my second beer." "Figured that... some kung pao and a movie were in order." ""Space Jam,"" "'cause you said that you made it to every Bulls game you could" " as a kid." " That's... that's really thoughtful." "But you're not up for company, or, half-animated basketball sci-fi." "I'm sorry." "Don't be." "I get it." "I'm gonna leave you alone." "Just promise that you'll eat something." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "You gotta be kidding me." "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Well, Matt, you know alderman Blakeslee." "Yeah, of course." "How are you, Mark?" "Tamara said I need to hear the details of your, first responders measure." "That's great." "Generally, though," "I don't conduct council business while I'm on CFD time." "I'm sorry, Matt." "I-I didn't realize..." "It's fine, Tamara." "I don't think my chief will mind, considering the subject matter." "Come with me." "Herrmann, can you give Boden a heads-up?" "And ask Kannell to meet me in the briefing room?" "Yeah, sure thing." " Is Casey out here?" " No." "He's got a meeting with that slimeball alderman." " Why?" "What's the matter?" " Cruz's disciplinary hearing got switched to this morning." "They pulled him off shift, but if I'm gonna be there, I gotta get Casey's permission." "Well, he's in the briefing room, should be out soon." "I mean, how long can politicians talk?" "Two of my best friends died in that blast, and Farage barely survived." "His airway was badly burned, and he was hanging on by a thread for days." "A lot of surgeries, a lot of prayers." "He pulled through, but it'll be months before he's able to return to work." "And even if his lungs heal," "Farage is already showing signs of PTSD, and our pension doesn't automatically cover" " mental stress issues." " Meanwhile, he's got two little girls at home, and his wife has to travel for work." "She used to schedule it around his shifts so he can mind the girls, but now, they have to hire full-time childcare." "Workers comp won't pay for that." "Listen, we're not trying to pull a fast one here, Mark." "Farage needs our help." "Jason, right?" "Thank you for your service." "Thank you for listening, alderman." " See you at City Hall, Matt." " Yeah." " Tamara." " Mark." "That went pretty damn well." "Casey, sorry to interrupt." "I need to get to Cruz's hearing." "What are you doing here?" "Go." "Come on, Mouch." "We're ready, Cruz." "Just... one..." "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" "Sorry about that." "Okay." "We got this." "No worries." "Okay." "As his union rep, you're allowed to observe." "You will not participate." "We want to hear directly" " from Cruz." " Hold on." "That is not how we've done it in the past." "I told you." "We've streamlined the process." "This is how things work now." "Okay." "Okay, listen." "I've seen you handle plenty of stressful situations, Joe, and this... this is when you shine." "Just go tell your side of the story." "I will be right next to you." "Okay." "Excuse me, this office is for lieutenants only." "How'd it go with Blakeslee?" "Yeah, good, I think." "I'm hopeful." "Great." "Still haven't heard from your dad?" "No." "Nope, I..." "I can't stop thinking about that conversation that I heard." "Why does he owe that guy money?" "What's going on with him?" "I should've banged down that door and gone back inside." "No, you shouldn't have." "He made it clear he wants to handle it alone." " Whatever it is." " Should I call my mom?" "That's probably the last person he'd want to get involved." " Yeah." "Yeah." " I think you need to give Ramon a chance to solve his own problem." "Okay." "But if I don't hear from him by the weekend," "I am going over there and I'm breaking down that door." "Is it?" "Randall McHolland here." "All right." "All right." "Thank you." "What'd they say?" "I'm sorry, Cruz." "They're suspending you for 60 days without pay." "Hey, it could've been worse." " You're not losing your job." " You just thanked them." " I heard you." " What?" "You said, "Thank you."" "Wha..." "What is wrong with you, Mouch?" "All you have done for three days is sit on that couch and tell me that everything was gonna be fine, but you had no idea about anything." "Mouch, you are so out of touch that you don't know who works for the CFD, or what the procedures are." "You couldn't even show up to my hearing on time." " I..." " No, Mouch." "I did what you said." "I told my side of the story, but it did no good, and now my life is in ruins because..." "Truck 81, Ambulance 61, multi-vehicle accident, intersection of North Odgen and Grand." "I'm sorry I let you down, Cruz." "I'll check the first car." "He just blew through the light." " Nothing we could do." " The biker?" "Yeah." "Must've been going 70, like a bat out of hell." " And where is he?" " Up there." "Boy." "Kidd, get up there, have a look." "Yeah." "Hey, Mouch, get the Hurst tool cutters." " Let's get these doors open." " Copy that." "Fire Department!" "Can you hear me?" " What's his condition?" " I don't know, I can't see him." " There's cargo everywhere." " All right, stay there." "We're gonna pop the doors." "Get in through the back." "Copy that." "I said Hurst tool cutters, Mouch." " You did?" " I did." " I thought you said..." " Go back and get them!" "No, no, no." "I'll get it, Lieutenant." "Got it." "I got it for you." "Fire Department!" "Call out!" " Got it." " All right." " Our luck." " Yeah." "Let's cut our way in." " Otis, need a K12." " Copy." " Hey, where's that saw?" " Right here, Lieutenant!" " Kidd, clear to cut?" " I think so." "He must be pretty deep." " Up?" " Yep." "Got it." "Got it." "Okay." "Got him!" " Can we get a C-collar?" " Yeah." "I got a tib-fib compound fracture, multiple lacerations to the face." "Okay." "All right." "Here we go." "Okay." "Got him?" "We got him." "Got it?" "Head injury." "Left pupil's blown." "He's seizing." "We gotta restrain him!" "All right, I'll call Med." "Get an order of Versed." "Let's get him on the ambulance." "Got it." "All right, guys." "Let's wrap it up." "Ladders and tools back in the truck." "All right." "I don't know what happened." "I guess I didn't have my radio turned up enough." "Mouch." "No big deal." "Have a good one, guys." "See you next time." "What are you working on?" "I think I found a way to fit another tree on the jacket dryer." "Trying to work out what parts I'm gonna need." "Figured I'd get it done before next shift." "If that's how you want to spend your downtime." "I don't like sitting around my place these days." "Just too quiet, you know?" "Yeah." "Hey, guys." "Thanks for agreeing to meet." "I just want to finalize the draft language and make sure the measure's retroactive." "Okay, what's wrong?" "Matt, you're moving pretty fast on this." "The truth is, the current political climate just isn't right for it." "The... the curr..." "I'm..." "I'm not following." "I thought you guys were on board." "It's a good measure, Matt, but we can't support it right now." "Not with Blakeslee sharpening his knives." "No." "No, no." "I told you." "I met with Blakeslee." "He's on board." "Why is that funny?" "That's Blakeslee's super power." "He makes everyone think he's on their side, but he hasn't changed his position." "He's turned this thing into a political land mine." "Sorry, Matt, but I can't get near it right now." "Maybe we'll try again next year." "Maybe." "Hey, buddy." "60 days without pay is an eternity." "I can barely afford rent as it is." "I don't even know if I'm gonna have a job waiting for me when I get back." "Come on." "Hey." "Hey." "Hey, listen." "You gotta know Mouch did his best." "Yeah, you're gonna feel a lot better if you just forgive him." "Yeah." "Right." "Wish he had decided to storm out before I made him a fresh beer." "First, they'll send you to the home office in Fort Wayne for a couple days training, get familiar with the product." "Then they'll pair you up with an experienced rep, and you'll start going on sales calls right away." " That quick?" " Nothing to it." "Here." "Eddie Szymanski does all the hiring." "You tell him you know me, he'll set you up." "You got this." " Christopher." " Hey, Ramon!" " How are you doing?" " Good." "Thanks." "Is my Gabriela around?" "No." "She's off tonight." " Did you try her cell?" " No, it's not that important." "I just thought I'd pop in and say hello." " All right." " Now that I'm here," "I guess I'll take a beer." "Sure thing!" "You know what, just for you, first one... half-price." " Herrmann." " Right." "I mean, the way these guys gave in to Blakeslee... it's embarrassing." "They folded like a cheap tent in a stiff wind." "Good ideas don't rise on their own merits." "It's all back-channel BS and positioning and alliances." "Babe, you need help finding something?" "Sorry, I'm looking for my dark gray jacket." "My favorite." "Nope." "Nope." "What are you gonna do about Blakeslee?" "What I'm gonna do is... forget about politics." "Enjoy date night." "And I'm gonna make you forget about it, too." "Is that a fact?" " How're you gonna do that?" " Well..." "Why is Herrmann bothering me?" "You were saying." "I was saying..." "Herrmann, what's up?" "Hey, take it easy, Mr. Dawson." "Take your hands off of me." " I'm fine." " Sorry." "We tried to get him into a cab." "It just wasn't happening." "I'm not a child." "Dad." "Hey." " Gabriela." " Yeah." "Come on." "Let's... let's get you home." "Come on." "Gabriela, I..." "I screwed it all up." "What are you talking about?" "Your mother... she knew how to take care of everything." "Me, the house, the bills." "I've got nothing." "What do you mean, you have nothing?" "I went through all of my retirement money." "I can't even..." "I can't even pay for the... the new place anymore." "The landlord wants to kick me out." "Gabriela, I've got nothing." "You got me." "I'm sorry." "Come on, Papa." "Come on." "I'm sorry." "Okay."