03x15 - Headlong Towards Disaster

[bunniefuu]

[screams]

Celia, look at me.

Trust me when I say we are here to help you.

Two, three...

Attagirl.

Thank you, Son.

You're welcome, Pop.

It was everything I wanted and more.

Pop?

[sobbing]

Maybe it's time to put yourself back on the market.

I think you're right.

I'm just getting out of a relationship.

Me too.

Making your getaway?

I'm on shift today.

Didn't I tell you?

I don't think so.

But, you know, we haven't really done that much talking since we left the bar the other night.

Yeah, I guess not.

I mean, what do we know about each other, really, when it comes down to it?

Well, let's see.

Your name is Krystal.

Gwen? Beth! Beth!

Beth. Your name is Beth.

And you're a hell of a lot of fun, Beth.

Yeah?

What else?

Uh, let's see.

You own an Ansel Adams.

20 bucks at IKEA.

Mm-hmm.

And you smoke Cuban cigars?

Beth: Those belong to my ex.

Sign the papers tomorrow, and then it's official.

Whose idea was it?

Mine.

We got along fine, but, uh, but his career hit the skids, and... he became bitter and vicious.

How come your thing fell apart?

Just... bad timing.

So it's agreed.

We are both fresh out of serious relationships, looking to have some fun...

Mmm?

Fool around...

Go on a cross-country crime spree.

Absolutely.

I'm glad I got to spend some time with my father... and he got to know all of you.

Right now, I'm gonna take advantage of some unused furlough and wrap up my father's affairs.

Uh, don't forget, Chief, you're also entitled to paternity leave.

I will be taking furlough, Mouch.

And a lot of it.

[laughter]

I know you'll all be fine without me.

Battalion Chief Pat Pridgen will fill in the void.

Treat him right.

His own house, 17, was closed last year by our old friend Ms. McLeod.

[booing and hissing]

Aw, come on. McLeod wasn't all bad... as soulless assassins go.

[laughter]

Don't worry about 51, Chief.

I'll take good care of it in your absence.

I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

Thanks.

Casey: Take as much time as you need, Chief.

Severide: Yeah, you earned it.

Dawson: Gonna miss you like hell, Chief.

And I'm gonna miss you too.

Well... some of you.

[laughter]

Hey, Chief. Squad's still shorthanded.

We getting anyone to sub for Newhouse?

Talk to Chief Pridgen about that.

It's in his hands now.

See you when I see you.

Herrmann: He'll be back in a week.

He'll be back next shift.

[laughter]

Yeah.

[Scattered chuckles]

Dawson: Oh, you gotta be kidding me.

What the hell is he doing here?

What's the matter, Welch? You lost?

I'm good.

I caught a relief assignment to Squad 3.

Looks like I'll be working here at 51 for a while.

Casey: Welch's own driver almost d*ed in that crash.

And he was perfectly willing to let Joe Cruz take the fall, when in fact he was the one who ordered his men to b*at 81 to the scene.

Welch has paid for his mistake.

He's been stripped of his rank...

Dawson: This isn't just about the crash, Chief.

There's a lot of things leading up to this.

Welch is a pigheaded, misogynistic...

Do I get a chance to talk?

I'm just trying to give you the whole story before you cram him down our throats.

Gabby.

Are you the officer in charge of Squad 3?

No, but I...

You?

Lieutenant Severide is in charge of Squad 3.

Oh! That's right.

Lieutenant, do you have any personal conflicts with Welch?

Not directly, no, but I don't like the guy.

Is he a bad firefighter?

Well, I can't speak for that, but like Dawson was saying...

Well, I can.

He's a terrific firefighter. He doesn't suffer fools.

Maybe that doesn't make him pleasant company, but he's got heart.

I'm pinned down in a flashover, I want Tommy Welch coming to get me.

Yeah, well, I'd rather burn...

Dawson.

Pridgen: Relief assignments are not a popularity contest.

So you better learn to get along with Welch.

Anything else I can help you with?

No, Chief. Thanks for hearing us out.

[TV in background]

Otis: You empty the pot, you gotta make a new one.

House rules.

All right.

Herrmann: How's your boy Molina?

Oh, yeah, he's up and about.

Hey, your eye's looking good.

It's getting there, getting there.

I hope you're not expecting a big, warm 51 welcome, 'cause, you know, we're not exactly thrilled to have you here.

No, that's okay. All right?

I'm not here for the conversation.

I'm here to do a job.

You don't have to like it.

Severide: Don't worry about Welch.

All right? I'll keep him on a short leash.

Appreciate that. And look.

If you want to make him scrape the gunk out of the trench drains on the apparatus floor, who am I to stop you?

Hey, uh... where the hell have you been past couple of nights?

I never saw you come home.

You and Dawson?

Do you remember the woman I was talking to the other night at Molly's?

Yeah, kind of hard to forget.

Yeah.

You've been with her this whole time?

[mimics whip cracking]

[laughter]

What have you done with Matt Casey?

Oh, get out of here.

I deserve a little fun, get my mind off things.

Yeah, of course you do.

Good for you.

Yeah.

[mimics whip cracking]

[laughter]

Welch: How's it going, Dawson?

I just wanted to tell you that whatever agreement that you and Casey had with Chief Boden, you don't have to worry about me blowing your cover to Pridgen.

Casey and I aren't together anymore.

Fine, I can play along with that.

I'm not lying. Why would...

[laughs] You know what?

Welcome to 51.

I don't know if you remember me, but...

Oh, my God. Celia!

Oh, I almost didn't recognize you without the rebar stuck in your ribs.

How are you?

I'm really good, yeah.

The stitches are already out.

Here, I... I made this for you as, like, a "thank you."

It's beautiful. I love it.

I just wanted to say I really appreciate you rescuing me, and what I did was really stupid.

Like, epically stupid. It's not who I am.

Hey, I was a teenager once. You make mistakes.

The trick is learning from 'em so you don't make 'em again.

You must have caught a lot of hell from your parents, huh?

It's just my mom, and she doesn't really care.

She... she doesn't care that you smoked pot laced with PCP?

She was way more pissed I lost my guitar somewhere along the way.

Your guitar?

Yeah.

Halfway decent solid-top acoustic.

I must have set it down somewhere when I was out of my mind.

Now she refuses to help me get a new one.

Hmm.

[alarm blares]

woman: Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61.

Person trapped. 2600 West Fullerton.

Uh, I gotta run.

Uh, hey, give me your number.

We can text.

Okay.

Ready?

Yeah.

Okay. So good to see you.

Bye.

[sirens wail]

What are we looking at?

Don't know yet.

Somebody call for help?

Not up here. In back.

His name is Jerry and he's caught in the pinsetter.

He's caught in the what?

The pinsetter, lane 9.

Hey, Capp, get a toolbox in here now.

Copy that, Lieutenant.

How do we get to him?

Through the maintenance area in back... I can show you.

Everybody follow her.

No, no, we should keep some eyes out front.

Casey, Brett, come with me.

Does he make a habit of ignoring his battalion chief?

Severide: You guys get back. Get off the lane.

Casey: 81, we need a K-12 with bolt-cutters right away.

man: Comin' in.

Hey, Jerry, can you hear me, bud?

Yeah. It hurts!

Yeah, I know, okay?

Just sit tight.

We're gonna get you out of there.

[man grunting]

What you doing, bud? You trying to steal pins?

The pinsetter arm is jammed! I'm stuck good!

All right, this is lane 9.

Capp, go around through the back door over there!

You got it.

Cruz.

Capp, are you there?

Yeah!

I'm here, Severide!

Hand me the biggest flathead you got.

Severide: Hey, Jerry, can you wiggle your fingers?

I don't know.

Like, barely.

He's diaphoretic, going into shock.

Hey, what about this shaft?

If you cut it, the levers should separate.

Okay, well, I'm gonna need a saw.

All right.

Hey, who's outside? Otis?

Yeah.

Otis, we need a reciprocating saw, now.

Otis: On my way.

I'm not getting a radial pulse.

No blood flow to the limb.

All right, well, we're going as fast as we can here.

Severide: Hey, let's hurry up with that saw!

Watch your step.

All right, Jerry, hang in there, bud, all right?

You're just gonna feel a little buzz, okay?

[saw buzzing]

[Jerry whimpers]

[grunting]

Severide: Hang on, bud.

[saw whirring]

[Jerry groaning]

All right!

Pull.

[Jerry screaming]

[quiets down]

All right, let's go, let's go.

Okay, everybody, let's wrap it up!

[shoes squeak on lane]

Whoa.

Oh! Oh!

Oh, hey, you okay there, Zvone... uh...

[stammers] How do you pronounce his name?

Otis.

You okay there, Otis?

[laughter]

Stay off that thing! They wax the lanes!

What, has this guy never gone bowling before?

[laughter]

Come on, little buddy! Come on!

Don't give up hope! We're all pulling for ya!

Come on!

[Pridgen and bowlers laugh]

Look at this guy.

[continues laughing]

Oh!

I knew you had it in you!

[Pridgen continues laughing]

Thanks.

Ohh... okay, folks.

Think we all learned a valuable lesson here today.

Keep your heads out of the gutter.

[Pridgen chuckles]

I'm fine.

[phone rings]

Hey. What's going on?

Yeah, we just left the hospital.

Looks like the guy is gonna keep his arm.

Oh, man, I can't believe we missed that.

Yo, uh, hold... wait, hang on. Let me tell Brett.

Um, Otis slipped in the bowling lane and fell right on his ass.

You know how they wax the floors?

Cool. Um, will you wait just a minute?

I'm gonna go price out a guitar.

Uh...

You can do that wherever? You can just take it...

Lieutenant Severide, a moment?

Chief.

That was, uh, quick, clear thinking you exhibited back there.

I like that you aren't afraid to push back on an order when the situation calls for it.

Thanks.

CFD could use more officers like you.

You didn't get hurt, did you, buddy?

Otis. Everyone calls me Otis.

No, you kidding me?

From now on, your name's Gutter Ball.

Cut him some slack, Chief.

Could have happened to any of us.

He's lucky he lost his footing on a bowling alley and not pitched roof, Lieutenant.

Screw-up's a screw-up.

Nickname is basically a term of endearment, Otis.

"Otis" already is a nickname.

Oh, yeah.

Beth?

Hey.

Matt? Hey.

How'd you know where to find me?

I didn't think I mentioned what house I worked out of.

I actually wasn't looking for you.

I'm here meeting my ex-husband.

We're, um, finalizing today.

Uh, your... ex works here at 51?

Yep.

Wow.

So we're really going through with this, huh, Beth?

Fine. Let's get it over with.

Pat Pridgen?

You're married to Battalion Chief Pat Pridgen?

Not anymore.

Beth...

[light laugh] Oh...

How did we spend 48 hours together without making that connection?

Well, I certainly wasn't hiding anything from you.

Point taken, but, obviously, we need to nip this in the bud right now.

I thought we were having fun.

We were.

We're also racing headlong toward disaster.

Pat and I are divorced.

So what?

He's obviously still carrying a torch for you.

Well, it doesn't matter. I'm a free woman.

But I'm not a free man. I work for him.

He finds out I'm sleeping with his ex-wife, he'll end my career.

Well, then let's not tell him, okay?

Beth!

Matt!

[scoffs] Come on.

I can keep a secret. Can't you?

So I talked to Angie from Chicago Med.

She was on shift the night Celia's mother came to pick her up.

Way more worried about the hospital bills than her daughter's condition.

She actually tried to stop the doctor from treating Celia.

There have been ongoing issues with family services, and anyway, that's the story behind this.

Oh, yeah, that's busted again.

I already called the landlord twice.

I could ask Casey to come fix it.

Dawson, you gotta be strong.

Separation is exactly what you guys need.

Yeah, I'm not so sure.

Harrison and I dated for years, and I could never see our relationship for what it really was until he left.

So stop dwelling on Casey for a while.

You could go on a date.

[scoffs]

[baby crying]

♪ The itsy bitsy spider ♪
♪ Ran... something something ♪
♪ Ah-na-na-na na-na-na-na ♪

[doorbell rings]

Oh! Oh... okay.

[children cheering and screaming]

Herrmann: Hey, hey, hey!

Thank God!

Hey, hey, easy now!

Herrmann: Save some of that energy for the game!

Hey, Chief.

Boy, am I glad to see you.

Hey, Chief, what games you got?

Luke, do not touch that computer, all right?

We're not...

[glass shatters]

Okay, you know what?

Let's all go downstairs! Come on!

Get downstairs. Watch TV.

[children cheering]

I give up!

Um, I watched a dozen videos.

I know I got the swaddling thing down, but the baby kept on crying.

All right.

Yeah.

Yeah?

[Boden murmuring]

Oh, yeah. Aw...

What are you doing?

Look, it's too dirty down there.

We haven't vacuumed in days.

He'll live. I promise.

[keys jingle]

Hey.

[baby stops crying]

Hmm. You're a genius at this.

[Herrmann babbles]

Tell Cindy.

How's it going at the firehouse?

Eh, there's a little sand in the gears what with Welch coming in.

Welch?

Yeah.

Pridgen brought in Welch to sub for Newhouse.

Tommy Welch is in my firehouse?

You didn't call me over here for parenting advice, did you?

Donna won't let me wrap up my father's affairs.

She took over the whole damn operation.

Left me here with a little one like I'm some kind of a wet nurse.

I'm a fire chief, Herrmann.

I'm a leader of men.

Tommy Welch is in my firehouse?

All right, you know what?

Forget I said anything, all right?

It's not your problem, all right?

We can handle it.

Is that a pocketknife on that key ring?

He'll never get that thing open.

Those tiny fingers?

Hey, buddy.

Hey.

Takes five hours to break up with someone?

Wasn't five hours.

[chuckles] You slept with her, didn't you?

Mmm!

Casey, what the hell are you thinking?

They're divorced.

Yeah, I'll try to remind Pridgen of that when he orders everyone to pull back and leaves you inside a burning building.

You gotta end this thing now before he finds out.

Really.

What? What is so funny?

You know you're in trouble when even Kelly Severide thinks you're behaving recklessly.

Hey, man, I never slept with a chief's wife.

Ex-wife.

[phone rings]

[softly groans]

[phone continues ringing]

[beep]

Hey, Gabby.

[Gabby clears throat]

Again, I'm really sorry about this.

It's just the water is only coming out of the faucet, not the sprayer, and Sunday rates for a plumber...

I mean... [whistles]

Really, it's not a big deal.

Hey, I like your place.

Oh, thanks. Yeah, well...

I mean, it's Brett's place really, but... yeah.

She went to get you a six-pack.

It's the least we could do.

I'm telling you, this is a simple fix.

All right.

Aah!

[laughs]

Damn it!

[laughing] It's a simple fix.

A child could do it.

Well, I'm not a plumber by trade.

Oh, yeah, you don't say.

Hmm.

Oh, hey, hey, hey.

Okay, I'm sorry. It's just that was... that was funny.

That was funny. You can't deny it.

I'm gonna get you a towel.

A highball is whiskey, ginger ale, and lemon.

Everybody knows that.

Technically speaking, it's any spirit served with a mixer.

Gin and tonic, rum and coke, what have you.

Please.

Hey, let's ask our local mixologist.

Herrmann...

He will not know.

What's a highball?

Not to be confused with a gutter ball.

[chuckling]

You know what, Capp?

How about you and me, we go outside?

Touchy.

Come on.

Hey, he's just ribbing you, Otis.

Take it easy.

No, no.

I'm not gonna take it easy.

Can you guys imagine Chief Boden ever treating any of us like that?

Huh? Mocking us?

Humiliating us? I'm asking you!

Whoa. No, all right?

Boden would never do that.

No! Of course not.

Boden's a leader. He inspires us.

Not like Pridgen though.

That guy's a douche.

[sighs]

[scoffs] And the next guy who calls me a gutter ball is gonna lose some teeth.

[dogs barking]

Sylvie! Hi.

Ta-da!

Oh, my God.

Where did this come from?

I hope it's okay.

The guy at the store said it was a good one.

It's nicer than the one I lost.

You bought this for me?

What's going on?

Uh, Mom, this is Sylvie.

She's the paramedic who saved me.

This is my mom, Sharon.

Hi, Sharon.

What's this?

Uh, well, I know Celia lost her guitar that day, and I was driving by a pawn shop on Clark where I once performed the Heimlich maneuver on the owner, so I thought, "Hey, maybe I can get a deal."

Give it back.

Mom...

No, please. I want her to have it.

You think I can't look after my own daughter?

What? No, I...

I worked two weeks of overtime to buy her that guitar and she just left it on a curb somewhere.

She needs to know things cost money.

You know, Celia very nearly d*ed that day.

Don't you think you should cut her a little slack?

I'll raise my own daughter, thanks.

Celia: Mom, she's my friend.

Stay away from her.

[door slams and lock clicks]

Pridgen: He's gonna love it.

Had a buddy of mine print it up.

Hey, what's going on?

Pridgen: Hey, there he is.

Just the man I wanted to see.

Got you a present. Huh?

[Pridgen laughs]

One of a kind! One of a kind!

[continues laughing]

Don't tell me I never did anything for you.

Wow, look at that.

It's hilarious.

NO, no, no, no, no, no, no.

You gotta put it on. I promised my buddy I'd get a picture of you wearing it.

His shop did the embroidering.

It... come on! Don't be such a wet blanket!

Hey, Chief, you know, joke's a joke, but we don't gotta...

But what?

You want a shirt too?

I can see if my buddy can do triple-XL for you.

[chuckles]

Herrmann: Eh, that's okay, Chief. You know what?

We're all good here.

Beth: Pat!

You got a minute?

Of course, Beth. Of course.

I asked around about this guy.

You know how he made chief?

Ten years riding the desk at fire prevention.

Pfft! Figures.

Under his command, 17 was one of the worst run houses in the city.

That's why they shut it down.

And yet, like a cockroach, he just keeps going.

Herrmann: He's a survivor, this one.

He plays the angles, and he don't like to lose.

Beth? What are you doing here?

Well, I had to drop off Pat's notarized copy of the divorce papers.

Oh.

You had to?

There was no other way to get it to him, huh?

Like the U.S. Mail?

Well, I guess I could have mailed it, but then I couldn't get to sneak a kiss with you in Chief Pridgen's firehouse.

You know, just for the thrill of it.

Uh... [chuckles]

We can't do this.

Oh, I'll make it quick.

I'm not talking about a kiss.

I'm talking about us. This has to stop.

You're a firefighter.

Can't you handle a little bit of danger?

Sure, but, uh... [clears throat]

I've realized that this isn't what I want.

As fun as it's been.

Okay, fair enough.

What are you doing?

But it has been fun. You're right about that.

Seemed like a good idea at the time, marrying a woman ten years my junior.

Hell, I thought I won the lottery.

Couldn't have been more wrong.

Really?

Seems like a sweet person.

That's the problem.

Everybody loves her, and she loved the attention.

Pridgen: Look, you take a woman like that out to a bar, she's gonna turn heads.

It's inevitable, but Beth, she would encourage it.

[scoffs] Loves to stir up trouble.

Let's just say, more than once, some young buck would come sniffing around and I'd have to knock him on his ass.

And she calls me the flirt.

Hmm.

Seems strange she'd dump a guy who picks a fight everywhere he goes.

[chuckles]

Hey, you tried.

The kid's got a lousy mom.

You can't b*at yourself up over that.

I know what it's like when you can't rely on a parent.

When I was in the ninth grade, my dad was traveling a lot, and my mom had sort of a... nervous breakdown.

For real?

Yeah.

But her sister, um, my Aunt Ann, she stepped in.

And she didn't take my mom's place, but she picked up the slack.

I just...

I wish I could do that for Celia, you know?

But her mom is obviously not going to let that happen, I guess.

Well, you sort of wounded the woman's pride.

Maybe if you try and find a way to help that's not so intrusive.

[knocks on door]

Severide, come on in. Close the door.

What can I do for you, Chief?

[sighs]

[clicks tongue]

I wanted to get your take on Lieutenant Casey.

You mean my good friend and roommate?

That Lieutenant Casey?

This would of course be an entirely confidential discussion.

Okay, well...

Matt Casey is about one of the finest firefighters I've had the opportunity to work with in the entire CFD.

Mmm, he runs a sloppy company, and he lacks respect for his superiors.

I disagree.

But, you know, you're entitled to your opinion.

If there's nothing else...

Help me keep an eye on him.

Keep an eye on Casey?

I'll make it worth your while.

Chief, this kind of stuff, this... scheming behind closed doors and "keeping an eye" on other officers... that's not how we do things here at 51.

Hey...

I'm just performing my due diligence.

Forget I brought it up.

[alarm blares]

woman: Engine 51, truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, Battalion 25.

Structure fire. 984 North Point.

[siren wails and horn honks]

Hey, Casey, we'll do the primary search!

Negative, squad. You're on RIT.

81 goes in first.

It's all yours, Casey.

Dawson, Herrmann... Otis, with me.

Cruz, Mouch, vent the roof.

Watch your step, Gutter Ball!

Herrmann, you and me upstairs!

Otis and Dawson, take the first floor.

Do a clockwise search.

Otis: Got it!

Okay!

Dawson, you take the first room.

I'll take this one.

Right.

Fire department! Call out!

Fire department! Call out!

Fire department! Call out!

[grunts]

[groans]

Fire department! Call...

[coughing]

Here, I'll get her.

I got her.

Make a hole.

Welch: Hey, hole, hole!

[grunts]

Hey, this guy's in bad shape!

I got a pulse. He's breathing.

Mills: Uh, let's get an IV in him and get some oxygen on him, okay?

Found the fire.

Send me some water!

Where's my water, 51?

This place is about to flashover!

man: Coming right up.

Mayday! Mayday!

I'm trapped back of the first floor!

I can't open the door!

Hey, Welch, let's get him!

Otis, call out!

He dragged the hose in that way!

Severide: Here!

Okay.

Hey, Welch! Hit the hinges!

Otis!

Get him!

Pridgen: Folks, I think we all learned a lesson here today about why we don't freelance.

Isn't that right, Gutter Ball?

Don't talk to my guy like that.

What'd you say?

Casey: He made a great save today.

That old man would be dead if not for him.

And if he got a little too eager out there, it's only 'cause he was trying to prove himself to you.

I don't like your tone, Lieutenant.

I don't like yours.

Otis and everyone else here at 51, they've already proven themselves.

You ought to treat 'em with respect... Chief.

I want you in my office in five minutes, Lieutenant!

You too, Severide!

That was really stupid of you.

But thanks.

I don't know how Chief Boden ran this firehouse... whether he kept it loose and casual, or maybe you two are just taking advantage now that the cat's away, but you are making a big mistake if you think you can walk all over me.

I will not abide insubordination.

How dare you talk to me that way!

And you, disobeying a direct order at that bowling alley call.

The thing you commended me for?

Insubordination all the same.

Casey: We get it, Chief.

I'm sure we can all learn to live together till Boden returns in a few weeks.

I wouldn't assume anything.

We don't know how much time Chief Boden needs, or if the department's even gonna have him back here to 51.

For now, I am your Chief, and I could take formal action against you two.

That is my right.

But I like to work these things out in-house.

That's why truck 81 and Squad 3 are gonna go outside and wash all the windows immediately.

Uh, it's 15 degrees out.

You want us to take all our men outside and wash windows?

Send as many as you want.

Just see that it gets done.

That'll be all.

He's asleep.

Good.

You know, you're probably gonna want to hear about the conversation that I just had with your dad's bank.

Later. Tell me later.

Well, then maybe you want to call Christopher and get the latest dispatch from firehouse 51.

No.

Got all I need right here.

Boden: Just you and him.

Well, it's really nice of you, but I don't think my mom will let me have it.

Oh, uh, it's not for you. I'm keeping it.

You play?

No, but it'll be here at the house, and you can come by anytime you want and use it for as long as you want.

I wouldn't want to be in the way.

Celia, this is a safe place for you to hang out, and you're welcome anytime.

You're really cool. You know that?

[Celia strums guitar]

♪ ♪

Nice work, Auntie Ann.

♪ ♪

Well, folks, I think we all learned a valuable lesson today.

[laughter]

Oh, whoa. Hey.

Huh?

This will cheer us up.

[whistles]

Hey!

[clears throat]

Nice.

Mmm, wow. Cubans, huh?

Where'd you score these?

Chief Pridgen, only he doesn't know.

[laughter]

[clicks tongue]

[both continue laughing]

Hey, good save back there today, Dawson.

That lady was clinging to you for dear life.

Hey, look, I know we got our history, all right?

But I just want this job to work.

Well, it's not going to if we don't feel like you've got our backs.

Okay.

How's this?

I'm sorry that I didn't take you at your word the other day about you and Casey splitting up.

I believe it now.

But you should let your lieutenant know that he can't be making out with the Chief's ex on the apparatus floor, or Pridgen will destroy him.

[groans]