.
[bright tones]
- Sylvie's been the only one on my mind.
- What happened between us,
it can't happen again.
- You're just gonna let it go? - That's what she wants.
- I just need to put it behind me
and move on.
- In a few months, I'm taking the lieutenant's test.
- Yeah, you are.
- The real reason Kidd's moving up so fast is you.
- Something is up. That is for sure.
You're gonna help me study, right?
- You don't need my help with that.
[dramatic musical sting]
[melancholy music]
♪
[clears throat]
- Did Casey use all the hot water?
You didn't shower at the apartment.
- Ah, no, I got a workout in before shift.
- Oh, okay.
Well, uh, you wanna run SCBA later?
'Cause Herrmann says
that the air consumption course is a beast.
- Nah, you shouldn't have a problem.
- Well, I-I know.
I just, uh--just wanna cover all my bases.
Twice. - Yeah.
If there's time.
[tense music]
♪
- Morning. - Captain.
- A little early in shift to be heading home, Chief.
We just got here.
- Headquarters called my number for Red X Duty.
- What's Red X Duty? - Chief has to check
all of the condemned buildings in our district.
Make sure they're boarded up, no squatters,
that kind of thing. - Hmm.
- Casey.
Hold the fort down till this evening.
- Done and done.
- Hey, do you mind if I tag along, Chief?
- Why? You coming for my job now?
- No, just...mixing it up.
- Sure, fine. I'll show you the ropes.
Cruz, cover Squad. - Covered.
- Hey, Cruz, uh, where's Kelly going?
- Volunteered for Red X Duty with the chief.
[alarm blares]
- Truck 81, Ambulance 61.
Car accident. 620 West Randolph.
[sirens wailing]
[dramatic music]
♪
[electricity crackling]
- Kitten Claws Gentleman's Club...
[electricity snapping]
♪
- Mouch, get these billboards turned off.
Gallo, struts. Kidd, check the driver with me.
- Copy that, Captain.
- Kitten Claws Gentleman's Club...
- [screams]
[dramatic music]
.
- [whimpers] - Stay calm; try not to move.
- Been drinking tonight? Come over here.
- Get the power killed!
- On it!
- Kitten Claws Gentleman's Club...
[indistinct]
Got it! [switch clicking]
Don't got it.
Second switch is damaged, Captain!
- Stay on it, Mouch.
- [crying]
- Ma'am, how are you doing in there?
- Terrified.
- We gotta get this power shut off, then we'll get you out.
Just hang on.
[electricity crackling]
Mouch! - Just a second, Casey!
Gallo! - Yeah?
- You got any snips on you? - Yeah.
Here. - Thanks.
Got it!
- Kidd, need the jaws! - Copy!
- Gallo, how long on struts?
- One minute, Captain.
- [panting]
- Hey, what's your name?
- Sydney. Sydney McMillan.
- How we doing, Sydney?
- The ironic thing is I work at Kitten Claws.
- Really?
- My stage name is Vanilla Thunder.
Not really. I'm in marketing.
[both chuckle]
- Jaws, Captain.
- Let's get this door open.
Strike! Strike!
[grunting]
Kidd, get in there.
- Are we ready? - Go for it.
- All right. - Hit it!
[saw whirring]
C-collar.
Ready to try your legs, Ms. Thunder?
- I'm already regretting that joke.
- Up you go. [grunts]
That's right. - Follow my finger.
The good news is you don't have a concussion.
- Buddy, a little advice.
Maybe think about driving something
that doesn't induce seizures in the drivers around you.
- Mouch, Gallo, Kidd, let's start cleaning up the street.
- On it, Captain. - Copy that.
- Got it.
- Hey, Captain, we were passing by.
You need a hand? - Nah, the excitement's over.
But you can keep your rig blocking the traffic.
- Hey, you got it.
- As I live and breathe.
[bright music]
- Chuck Rutledge?
- Hiya, McHolland. - Well, you're just in time.
Grab a broom. - Oh, yeah?
Thanks, I take my orders from Lieutenant Grainger.
Besides, we're on a doughnut run.
- Well, we all have our talents, Rutledge.
You're good at eating doughnuts.
- Yeah, and you make a hell of a janitor.
You missed a spot.
- I think they have history.
- Yup, I would say you're right.
- Let's see what happens.
- Brett, ready to load.
- Tell me how it ends. - You got it.
- Better than anything coming out of your mouth.
- Hey, everything okay here?
- Oh, well, we could use a hand with cleanup, Lieutenant.
[radio static] - Engine 40.
We need you for an alarm check at 335 West Ohio.
- Let's go. - Sorry, McHolland.
Love to help out, but...
- [sighs]
[hammer clangs]
- You know, your father couldn't stand Red X Duty.
Whenever he got the nod,
the deputy chief who assigned him
would find a bottle of whiskey on his desk.
I don't think Benny lifted a hammer in 15 years.
- That sounds about right.
You know it's been two years since his funeral?
I still half-expect him to show up at Headquarters,
get on my case about scuffs on my shoes.
- Yeah.
Whenever my father came home from Patrol,
he was always hungry and tired, and made himself a snack.
Now, whenever I smell burnt popcorn, I think of him.
Funny what things remind us.
Hey.
No matter the reason, I'm glad you came.
- Don't get all sappy on me.
- [chuckles]
- [grunts]
- All right. Out with it.
What is the deal with you and this Rutledge guy, Mouch?
- [sighs]
We worked together back at 55.
There was a La-Z-Boy. Green leather, reclining.
Everyone knew this chair was my spot.
But then, one day, Rutledge starts sitting in it
like he's king of the castle. - Uh-oh.
- So I rigged up an IV bag under the cushion
with the tube pointing north.
Rutledge sits down, and shazam. It looks like he wet himself.
- Good one. - Yeah.
Well, things escalated from there.
It only ended when I transferred to 51.
But after this morning,
he needs a firm reminder:
you don't mess with Randall McHolland.
Ever.
- How many we got after this? - Two.
Then we're grabbing sandwiches from Lucky's.
- See, that's the real reason I came along.
[both laugh]
[tense music]
♪
- Hello?
♪
- Don't.
Don't!
- Sir, you can't be here.
- I can!
- This building's condemned, Sir.
- Condemned? - It's unsafe.
Unsafe for any of us to be inside.
- No! [floorboards creak]
- Come with us, and we'll talk--
- No! I'm supposed to be here!
- Okay. Easy.
Why don't you... tell me your name?
[floorboards creak, crack]
- [grunts and groans]
- We got you. - [grunting]
- Hey, Sir.
You're gonna have to keep still.
- Uh-huh.
[tense music]
- Okay, you got him? - I got him.
- On three.
One, two, three!
[all grunt]
♪
- Anyone else in the house?
- Just him. - Did you get a name?
Sir, can you tell us your name?
- 24198. - Sir?
- 24198.
[somber music]
♪
My hat. - What?
- I had a hat.
24198!
- Okay, let's load him up.
Sir, we're gonna take you to the hospital,
where a doctor will examine your injuries, okay?
- You get it, right?
24198?
- Sir, I'm sorry.
♪
[sirens wailing]
.
[stopwatch beeps] - 2:38.
- [groans]
- What do you need for the exam?
- 2:45.
[panting]
2:32 is my personal best.
I wanna beat that.
- Boy, you push yourself harder than anyone I know.
- No one else is going to.
I just gotta keep my head down.
Focus on what I can control.
No distractions.
All right. Say when!
- Hey.
I was in the accident this morning.
Attacked by a Kitten Claws sign.
- Sure, yeah.
The hospital discharged you already?
- Doctor said I was fine, come back if I have a headache.
Otherwise, they need the bed.
Um, anyways,
the firefighter who helped me this morning,
is he around?
- She means Casey.
- Yeah. Um, he's inside.
- Oh. Thanks.
- Sure.
Ready?
- Yup. - Go.
- You are...Casey?
- Well, yes, but Matt.
- I'm Sydney from this morning.
- How could I forget Vanilla Thunder?
- [chuckles] God.
My mom told me before she died,
"If you meet a nice man, don't pretend to be a stripper."
I'm kidding! She never said that.
And she's...still alive.
[both laugh] - Glad to hear it.
- So before I make any more bad jokes,
um, here's my card...
if you're not seeing someone, and I'll just about-face
and scurry off if you are.
- No.
No, I'm--uh, no.
- Okay, well,
if you have nothing to do this weekend
or any weekend, give me a call.
We could do nothing together
in a totally socially distanced get to know you kind of way?
Think about it.
- You just got a date out of that call this morning?
- No. No, no.
I mean, she seems fun,
but I'm not looking for anything right now.
[soft music]
♪
[clears throat] What's all this?
- Uh, would you mind if we all head out
for a quick errand?
[drill buzzing]
Almost got it. - [giggles]
- Shh.
- A little to the left.
- Oh.
- Captain. - Lieutenant.
Mouch assured me any property damage would be negligible.
- Cool, and if my men ask, I tried to stop this.
- [chuckles] Noted.
- Hey, quick question.
That blonde paramedic in your house--
I think her last name is Brett?
- What about her?
- How does she feel about firefighters?
I know some women don't like dating inside the CFD.
I'll cut to the chase--
is she seeing anyone?
- No. No, she's not.
- That should do it. - [laughs]
- The hell you doing, McHolland?
- Oh, I just thought since you'd rather eat doughnuts
than help out your fellow firefighters,
you should have the right signage.
[laughter]
- What? That the best you got?
- Oh, nice filter. - Now, just click share.
- And...
[phone chimes] Boom!
- Whoo! - Okay, guys, we're done.
- Oh, you're not done, McHolland.
You're finished. - [cackles]
Uh-huh.
- He had a deep laceration by his ribcage,
but besides being a little shaken up, he's stable.
- What about what he was saying at the scene, this number?
- Dementia patients frequently develop fixations.
The number might have personal significance,
or it could be nothing.
Sometimes relatives can help make sense of these things,
but we couldn't find an ID.
- He's obviously well taken care of.
Gotta be somebody's husband, father.
- CPD doesn't have any current Missing Persons
matching his description.
- What happens when he wakes up?
- If no one claims him, he'll be admitted to the psych ward
as a John Doe.
[tense music]
♪
.
- It's not a birthday or a phone number.
What about a zip code?
- Not unless he's from Mexico.
Maybe it's like the doc said.
It's just numbers. - No.
The way he looked at me...
Like he knew I could help him.
You know what?
I'm gonna go back to that house.
They're gonna board it up anyway.
Make sure no one else gets in that place.
Maybe I can take a look around.
- I'll come with you.
- Your shift's over. Go on home, get some shuteye.
- Ah, forget it. I'm going with you.
- Hey, Mouch, your post is blowing up.
- Wow, Rutledge's House of Doughnuts.
Look at his face. - So good.
- Ah, yeah, that's a cute prank.
- Cute?
I'll have you know Rutledge was devastated.
- Yeah, no. I could see that.
- Yeah, mess with the bull.
- Yeah. - [chuckles]
- [laughs]
Gallo, would you ever pull a prank like that?
- Me? No, no.
I'm pro-prank. Just anti-good at them.
- Hmm, Jackson, one of my kids, he could give you some lessons.
That boy... [laughs]
He's a mischief master.
All right, I'll see you.
- Did she just say she has kids?
Huh.
[rock music]
- Oh, thank God you're here.
There's no one for me to talk to with Hermann working inside.
- Still no Severide? - [sighs]
You know, I was worried at first.
Now I'm pissed off.
- And I don't blame you. Have you said anything?
- I haven't had the chance. He's been MIA.
And right when I need his support
with all this lieutenant test prep.
- Yeah, you've been killing it, though.
- Yeah, but it's not the drills that I need his help with.
It's just knowing that he's got my back.
- Yeah. - [sighs]
I thought he got past this kind of thing a long time ago.
The disappearing, shutting me out.
Oh, why can't everybody be perfect like us?
- We have no flaws.
- Oh, none. [both laugh]
Mm...
- Hmm.
We met on that call last shift. That's it.
- Hmm.
- Hey, um, can I get three Goose Islands?
You are Sylvie Brett.
- I am. - Greg Grainger.
And I owe you a report on the McHolland-Rutledge stare down.
- Oh, I already heard.
It sounds like Mouch really put him in his place.
- Yeah, well, Rutledge doesn't give up so easily.
- Well, neither does Mouch.
- Okay, well, there's gonna be consequences.
- Bring it on.
You need to take those to your friends?
- Nah, they can wait.
[soft music]
- Hey.
- What can I get for you, Casey?
And before you answer that, know I just came up
with a killer high proof whiskey cocktail.
Thinking of calling it Stella's Golden Hammer.
- I'll take a beer. - [sighs]
Fine. - Thanks.
- Uh-huh.
- Let's see what happens.
[both laugh] - Really?
- You know what?
I'll try the Golden Hammer.
- Yay! Oh, you won't regret it.
I'm telling you.
- [sighs]
- All of this extra work,
I might think you're gunning for a promotion.
- Nah, I'll leave that to Kidd. - [chuckles]
Her lieutenant studies.
How are they? They going well?
- I'm keeping out of it.
[dramatic music]
♪
Chief.
Fraternal Order of Police.
- I'll be damned.
24198.
It was his badge number.
.
- Are you gonna ask her?
- And say what? - I don't know.
How old her kids are.
How many she has. - I don't know, man.
That sounds like a lot of land mines.
- [sighs] Well, then ask Cruz.
- Where Cruz is concerned,
I can express no interest whatsoever in Gianna Mackey.
- That sounds right. - Yeah.
- They better not be out of fritters.
So where are they?
- I'm sorry. What?
- I'm here for the free doughnuts.
- Ma'am, this is a firehouse. - And?
- Where are the doughnuts, bro?
- Wait. What's going on?
- The sign out front says you got doughnuts.
Got your face on it.
- /groans
[quirky music]
- Let's go.
That is pretty good.
- Oh, come on, you can do way better than this, Mouch.
You gotta hit him back. Hit him back hard.
- She's right.
♪
- You don't dance for me like that, baby.
- All you gotta do is ask.
- Huh.
Took a patrolman three hours to find the file,
but you were right. It's a badge number.
Used to be. Lieutenant Henry Sidwell.
- Retired 1995.
Ten department commendations.
Carter Harrison Award.
- Med's discharging him this afternoon.
Wife is on her way to pick him up now.
- I'll tell Cruz he's got Squad.
- Right.
Thank you. - Yeah, sure.
- Let's hear some pitches. Go.
- What about doughnut glaze?
- That's your pitch? - Yeah, I don't know.
It's an arena. You know, a jumping off point.
- What if--
- I like it. Keep going.
- What if we had trick doughnuts delivered?
Instead of Boston cream filling,
it's, like, mayonnaise?
- Ooh! - Dude!
- Not bad, but it's time to think big.
Kidd.
Didn't Kylie used to work at a doughnut shop?
- Uh-huh. - Uh-huh.
And did she leave on good terms?
Could she hook us up?
- I can ask her. Yeah.
Hey!
Hey, wait a second.
What is going on?
- I'm heading to Med.
- That's not what I mean.
You haven't talked to me in days.
You're not at the apartment or on shift.
You keep bailing on helping me study.
- You don't need my help.
[tense music]
- Fine.
♪
- [sighs]
- You're the ones that found him?
- Yes, ma'am.
- He's wandered before, but he always came back.
I can't thank you enough. - No need.
- Where did you find him?
- A house on 36th and Morgan.
- [sighs]
That was our first home.
I was barely 20 years old.
It was my wedding present.
He was nervous I wouldn't like it,
but I would have lived anywhere with him.
- It's just the two of you?
- I thought about a nursing home,
but then COVID hit.
I told myself, "Well, strap up.
We'll get through it."
But this is a full-time job.
I go to put fresh sheets on the bed,
and when I come back...
Well, at least now I know where he goes.
[both chuckle]
- Um...
I believe this belongs to you, Lieutenant.
- You on the force, son?
- My father was.
[somber music]
♪
- I wish you two could've met sooner.
Even a couple years ago.
- Look, ma'am...
You need any help, you call.
Any time, day or night.
- [sniffles]
Thank you.
[whispers] Come on.
- Sir.
♪
- That was a good thing you did, Chief.
- Yeah, this got me thinking about my old man.
Old men in general, actually.
I'm gonna be there before too long.
- Nah, I don't think so. - [chuckles]
- You didn't hear about that fountain of youth water
they got over there at Molly's now?
- I did not. - Yeah.
We should check it out after shift.
- Okay. Showtime.
- You're not coming?
- As an officer, this is starting to feel
a little, uh...
- Beneath you? - Eh...
- Yeah.
Me too.
- You hang around,
I'll teach you about more than just firefighting.
- What's the matter, McHolland? You haven't had enough?
- You could've just helped us sweep up
after an accident, Rutledge.
[truck horn beeping]
Instead, you're gonna have to sweep up...
Two weeks' worth of day-old doughnuts.
- No, no! [laughter]
- Oh, man. Look at that.
- [gasps]
- [laughs]
- I'm not cleaning this up, McHolland.
You are. - Truck 81.
Construction explosion. 2219 South Drake.
- I would love to, Rutledge, but duty calls.
- Saddle up, 81! Let's go!
- Oh, come on!
There's jelly everywhere! - And glaze!
[sirens wailing]
[tense music]
♪
- We were demo-ing the south end
and a charge went off early. - Get these victims out.
Make sure everyone else is accounted for.
- We'll set up triage.
Walking wounded, over here!
- [panting] My buddy. - Have a seat.
- He's down. I think he hit his head.
- Where? - By the stack of sawhorses.
- Go.
- Fire department! Call out!
- [grunts] Help, help me!
- I got you.
Gallo! Over here!
- [groaning]
- Okay, are you ready, bud?
[all grunt] Gotcha.
- [grunting] - Gotcha.
- We set off another blast.
- There's a second charge? - By them!
- Mackey!
Hey!
Mackey!
[explosion erupts]
.
- You see them? - No.
[tense dramatic music]
♪
- You okay? - Yeah.
- [coughs]
♪
- Hey.
You stole all the excitement.
Squad hasn't had a single call in the last two shifts,
thus robbing me of my chance to boss Cap around.
- [laughs]
That is definitely opportunity lost.
- Yeah, it is.
Anyway, um, Kidd--
Kidd told me about what you did back at that construction site.
- It wasn't a big deal. - No.
It was.
Mackey, she's special.
Thank you for looking out for her.
- Of course.
Hey.
I know what you said about her being off-limits, but--
- No. - What if her and I--
- No.
- Uh-oh. What am I interrupting?
- Nothing. - Yeah, nothing.
Say, Mackey? - Mm-hmm?
- I read an article about this new playground
on the West Loop.
I guess it has, like, a giant zebra slide.
- I'm sorry. What are we talking about?
- Well, you could take your kids there.
The article said it's a great place for moms to socialize.
- [snorts] - I'm not a mom.
At least, I don't think so.
Are you talking about the kid I mentioned the other day?
Jackson? - Yeah, you said, "My kid."
- My parents have been running
a neighborhood daycare center for years.
The kids are mine, but they are not...mine.
- See, that-- that makes way more sense.
- Yeah, I got nothing to worry about.
- Well, a lot of people can't afford full-time childcare.
And my folks wanted to make sure
the kids have a safe place to go.
- Cool. - Yeah.
[thumping]
What was that?
[thudding]
- Are those-- - Yes, they are.
[helicopter blades whirring]
[jelly doughnut splats]
- [cackling]
Hey, thanks, Greg.
Beers are on me. [laughing]
- I'm gonna take you up on that, Rutledge.
Over and out. - Did you see that?
[laughing] Look at his face!
It's gonna take forever to clean that up.
Victory!
[chuckles] - Yeah.
You're doing the right thing, Mouch.
That's a tough act to follow.
- Oh, this isn't done.
Sun Tzu said, "Let your plans be dark
"and impenetrable as night, and when you move,
fall like a thunderbolt."
- Yeah, well, the wise Christopher Herrmann says,
you might wanna shovel this mess up
before your chief lays eyes on it.
- You want another round?
- [sighs]
I've been married a while now,
long enough to know when someone is
avoiding trouble at home.
I've also been married enough times
to know that it doesn't work.
Whatever it is, it just...
It just grows.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
- So what do you do?
- Start by going home.
[phone ringing]
Wallace Boden.
Yeah?
Okay. Okay.
I'll be right there.
[sighs]
- It's on me tonight.
[somber music]
♪
- Leaving?
- You good?
- Mm-hmm. I'm great.
♪
- Cooking show or true crime?
- True crime.
Obviously.
Thank you for letting me crash.
- You can stay with me anytime.
- [sighs]
[solemn music]
♪
- Hey, Stella?
♪
- Hey, Lieutenant.
I wanted to talk to you about something.
It'll only take a minute.
Why don't you come through?
Have a seat.
You know, when I was finding your hat the other day,
it brought me back.
My father, he had one just like it.
And the two of you...
Yeah, the two of you might have served together.
- Knew a lot of good men.
- He always used to take me to those picnics.
Had to drag me.
I acted like I'd rather be anywhere else,
but do you remember those flag football games?
Well, he signed us up every year.
It was the only part of the day where we didn't argue,
but he always made sure that I got to score.
Now I know why he wanted me there with him.
Those memories,
they're all I have left.
Now, I know this house is special to you, Henry,
but you can't come back here anymore.
- It's my home-- - I know.
You're right. It was.
But your wife, she's worried for you.
- Lois.
She takes real good care of me.
- Yeah.
So why don't we get you back to her?
[whispering] Yeah, come on.
- Keep this.
- That's all right. - Take it.
A reminder.
[somber music]
♪
[sighs]
.
[dramatic music]
♪
[wolf howls]