Chicago Fire (2012–…): Season 8, Episode 1 - Sacred Ground - full transcript

The mattress factory fire spirals out of control. Truck and squad lay it on the line in hopes of getting the trapped victims out alive.

We got people alive in here!
We gotta get 'em out!

SEVERIDE: You deserve
a better man than me.

So, I decided, I'm going
to be the man you deserve.

HERRMANN: Get out!
That's an order!

It is part of my job
to teach you
the ways of the world.

I'm not leaving you!

Send Brett and Foster in
if you can spare them.

What's the fire like
where you are?
They're safe up here.

Suit up, follow me.

Good to see you
back with the Chaplain.
You're good together.

I'm leaving for Indiana
tomorrow, and I am begging
you to come with me.



Will you marry me?
Yes.

BODEN: Evacuate! Evacuate!

It's about to blow!

(AIR HISSING)

(GRUNTS)

Severide!
How can we help?

Almost there.
Where's Herrmann?

Follow the line!

Hey! Go get Engine.
We'll get this door open!

Truck! Follow me! Let's go!

Hey, you sure
you're good?

Yeah, yeah, I'm good!
Go with them!
All right.

(STRAINING)

Damn it, Ritter!
I'm not gonna
tell you a third time!



Leave now!

No!

Herrmann! Drop the hoses!
Come on! It's gonna blow!

Casey!

I'm not asking!

(PRESSURE VALVE WHISTLING)

Get down! Get down!

(YELLING)

Get back! Stay back!
It's gonna blow!

(GLASS SHATTERS)

(COUGHING)

(GROANS)

(PANTING)

You guys okay?
HERRMANN: I'm okay.

BODEN: Foster.
I'm okay. I'm okay, Chief.

(GRUNTS)

(DISTANT GRUNT)

Brett.

(BRETT WHIMPERING)

(GASPS)

Mayday, mayday!
Firefighter down!
Floor collapse!

Basement, Charlie side!
Get these guys out of here.

I'll go help Boden, go!

Keep moving!

(COUGHING)

MAN: Quick! Come on!
We can get out this way.

Easy.
Okay.

Let's get her out
of here before
this stuff shifts again.

Copy.

Nice and easy.
Let's get you out of here.

We'll hold the ladders.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Sylvie, this is gonna hurt.

(MOANS)

All right, but I have
to splint your arm
so I can get you out of here.

You grab on to me, okay?

We're gonna go on three.

Okay, one, two, three.

(SCREAMS)

Okay.

The roof collapsed.
BODEN: Casey.

It was two feet
of concrete!
Casey.

I never would've
called you into
position if I'd known!

Casey!
What?

Concentrate on getting
Brett and everybody else
out of this basement.

We can Monday morning
quarterback it later.

Casey!
What do you need?

Brett's got an arm fracture.

Backboard to get
her out of here.

Stokes basket
at the ready.
Copy.

Capp! Tony! Can you lower us
down a Stokes basket
from the floor above?

TONY: (ON RADIO) Copy that.
We're stable.

You're gonna be okay.

(PANTING)

I'm sorry.
Yeah.

(WHIMPERS)

It's okay.
Okay.

(ALARM BLARES IN DISTANCE)

Otis? Otis!

Firefighter down!
Firefighter down! It's Otis!

Over here! It's Otis!

Wait.

Oh, no. You hold on.

Firefighter down!
Firefighter down!

Is he responsive?
No, no. No, he's not.

What happened? Otis?

Let's get him in.
Come on.

(SOBS)

(SIREN WAILS)

(SOBS)

(YELLS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

When I give you
an order, Ritter,

follow it.

I just didn't want...
I don't care
what you want.

I'm the lieutenant.
I'm your lieutenant,

which means I am
responsible for your life

whether you care
about it or not.

Excuse me.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Look, um, I know

you're going up
to a better place,

and, um, I know
when you get there,

they're gonna welcome you
with open arms.

Maybe, uh,
you could save us a place

to live up there together,
you know?

I'll be there someday.

(SOBS)

I love you, brother.

I love you
and I'm gonna miss you.

(SOBS)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(MACHINES BEEP)

(MACHINE FLAT LINES)

(SOBS)

How long have you
had it on, exactly?
Three months yesterday.

Roll your wrist for me.

Any pain?

Mmm-mmm.

Make a fist. Open.

Again. Any pain at all?

Mmm-mmm.

Now, your mother tells me
you are interviewing
at the Fowlerton firehouse.

Today, actually.

Do you know
Chief Bruce Amshen
over there?

I don't.
Oh, yeah, good guy.

(CHUCKLES) He has
got some stories,
let me tell you.

Anyway, soak your arm
in warm water

20 minutes a day
for the next two weeks.

You can start some
light exercises

and build that
resistance daily.

Should be good to go
within the month.

Now, say hi
to your folks for me.

And congratulations
on that engagement.

(CHUCKLES) Thank you.

(CHUCKLES)

Wow.

Look at that.

Yeah.
Let me see.

Oh, my gosh.
It's good as new.

Um, that took
a little bit longer than
I thought it would.

Do you mind dropping me off
at the Fowlerton firehouse?

Or do you have a...

Uh, no, of course.
Um, I should have
enough time.

I do have the cross-department
citywide lecture series
to get to this afternoon,

but sure, yeah.
Plenty of time.

You didn't tell me
you were lecturing.

I knew you were interviewing.
I didn't want you to feel
you had to come.

Well, I could've
rescheduled.

Ah, you'll have
plenty of chances
to hear me speak.

But it's the
cross-department...

Citywide lecture series.
It's a huge deal.

Well, um, I can make
dinner tonight

and you can tell me
all about it.

Sounds good.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Which leaves
window duties.
Oh, man!

All right, all right,
calm down.

Second shift
drew the short straw.

I don't care
how you do it,
just get it done.

Front, back,
and the apparatus floor.

Casey, Severide,
Herrmann, you decide
how to parse it out.

And lastly, Joe Cruz.

It has come
to my attention

that you have been
raising money for
the Future Leaders Fund.

Uh, yeah, um,
it's a nonprofit

that raises money
for scholarships.

They'll have a fundraiser
next week on the North Shore.

Consider me signed up.

Me too.

Yeah, I'll post
the information
on the bulletin board.

Right. Okay. So,
if that is everything...
Ah, right, Emily.

Um, I got a call.
Your new floater paramedic
was given late notice.

Should be here
within the hour.

Kidd will cover
until he arrives.

Thanks, Chief.
Right.

Dismissed.

Hey, um, you two
come see me
in my office.

You got it, Chief.
Yeah, of course.

Okay.

WOMAN: You do it
just like this...

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

WOMAN: He's going in,
like now.
FOSTER: Right.

Oh, one second?

Um... Hi. Hi.

Uh, are you my partner?
Yeah, yeah. Chad Collins.
How you doing?

Uh, Emily Foster.
Glad to have you.

I just spin the wheel,
show up where they tell me.

Well, uh, you are at
a great spot at 51.

You ever get that feeling?

What?

We're gonna be friends.

Uh-huh.

Where's the pisser at?

The bathroom?
(CHUCKLES) That's the one.

Um...

It's down the hall.

See you in a dozen.

What just happened?
Cute, though.

No comment.

I know that guy
from somewhere.

I never seen him before.
You sure?

Yeah, pretty sure.

Huh.

So, something
I wanna keep you
both abreast of.

The official
government report

from the mattress factory fire
has been further delayed.

What the hell
is taking so long?

They have four
factory workers dead,
along with a firefighter.

And there's some noise
about disciplinary action.

Against the CFD?

They're asking
for clarification
in my incident report.

Sent me
a whole bunch
of questions.

Anything more
you need us to do?

No.

We wait.

So, Casey?

Yes, Chief?

How's the search coming
for the new firefighter
for Truck 81?

I'll know the right fit
when I see it.

It's been three months.

Yeah.

Promise I'm looking.

Okay.

Thank you.

You okay?

They have our reports.

Drag these things on
at a snail's pace,

not seeing or not caring
that we have to keep
reliving the call.

Nothing moves slower
through the CFD
than paperwork.

It's the first thing
I learned at the academy.

I guess. I'm just...

Keep your chin up.
Don't let these
pencil pushers get to you.

They'll get the report out,
it'll get shoved in a file
somewhere,

and it's done.

Why don't you guys
start on the outside
apron windows...

Hey, Ritter.

Did you take a pike pole
out of the rig

after that kitchen fire
last shift?

Yeah, I did.

The, uh, pike part of it
was breaking away
from the handle,

so I sent it to
equipment maintenance.

We should be
getting a replacement.
Ah.

It has been good
having you on Truck.

I mean,
under the circumstances.

Yeah, Herrmann's barely
looked at me since the...

Ah...

He's not sore at you.

You didn't see him
light me up.

That's just his default
disposition.

Well, he... He hasn't exactly
asked me back to Engine.

I'm gonna grab
another soap bucket,

get to the windows
outside the briefing room.

I can help with that.

(SINGING) I'm working hard
for the money

Don't you know it?
Don't you know it, honey?

Don't you want
to go to dinner
with me tonight?

No, no, no

I need you now

MAN: Well...

(CHUCKLES)

I guess
one shift in Chicago

is worth a whole year out here
in terms of experience, huh?

We stay pretty busy.
And you can
work full-time?

Yes. I'd like to,
if that's okay.

Oh, that won't be a problem.

Mason and Sissy,
they're, uh...
They're just part-timers.

They mainly do veterinary work
up at the feed supply.

They help out when they can,
but, well, the city approved
a full-time paramedic

and we'd love to have you.

I'm hired?
Just like that.

Shake hands on it,
before you change your mind.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

And you can you start
next Wednesday. 9:00 a.m.

I'll be here.

(GASPS)

Sylvie Brett?

BRETT: Hope?

I heard from my mom
that you were in Fowlerton.

Uh, I, um...

My fiancé
works in Anderson.

Shut up. Engaged again?

(CHUCKLES) That is amazing.

Sylvie was supposed
to get married right
out of college,

but then her fiancé
got cold feet.

And then she ran off
to Chicago and everybody
said she'll be back someday,

'cause Chicago's
too fast for her.

And I guess
they were right.

Yeah.

Well, I don't care
how it happened.

I'm just glad
that you're here,

because all I've wanted
to do since I left Chicago
is reconcile.

Reconnect.
What have you.

Yeah.
It's a small town.

There's no sense
in wasting another day
on ancient history.

We used to be tight.

We should be again.

I... I'd like that.

(CHUCKLES)

That was so good.
Agreed.

Boden recommended it.

Or Donna, actually.

Said bring someone there
for a special occasion.

What is the special occasion?

You.

And they said that
you weren't romantic.

Who said that?
Oh, I don't know. Everyone.

Well, maybe I didn't
have the right girl
to be romantic with.

(SIREN BLARES IN DISTANCE)

Hey, how's Casey doing?

He carries the weight of this
more than the rest.

I can tell.

He said he's going
to Molly's tonight.

You wanna head over there?

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

Now, Molly's North
is no more.

Oh, is that right?
Yep. Lily shut it down.

She just didn't wanna go on
without Otis anymore.

Sorry to hear
it's closing down.
Yeah.

Hey.

Mind if I join you?
Yeah, sure thing, Chief.

So, uh...

How's it going, Joe?

Good. Yeah, I'm pretty good.

I've been getting
more involved
with the church,

which has been great.

Volunteering,
that kind of thing.
Yeah.

Chloe, she's...

She's incredible.

Been a good ear,
you know? So...

Overall, I'm doing all right.

Glad to hear it.

The last thing that
Otis said to me
was a Russian phrase.

Clear as day.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

What does that mean?

That's just it.
I don't know.

I didn't look it up.

I just...

What if he was
saying something about
how much pain he was in,

or if he was
out of his mind?

I just don't want
my last interaction
with him to be...

Hey.

You know
what my big fear is?

We got all these plaques
on the wall

and these badges
at the academy,

but what happens
five years from now?
Or 10?

When we're all split up
and there's new firefighters
walking the halls of 51

and somebody goes,
"Hey, who is that guy?"

And nobody knows.

(SIGHS)

Anyway, that's what
I think about.

I don't know
how to answer you, Joe.
I really don't.

(SNIFFLES)

'Cause the questions
that you ask

are the same questions I ask.

A lot.

(CELL PHONE RINGS)

Ooh, uh...

Pardon me.
This is headquarters...

It's okay, Chief.
I'll be right back.

Listen, Kidd's been
staying over more and more.

If you guys want me
out of there
to give your privacy...

Forget it.

We're fine.

She's fine.

I'm just saying...
Don't bring it up again.

You're not going anywhere.

All right.

Hey, guys.

Just had some bad news.

Because of the sensitivity
of the official report,

they have decided
to hold an inquiry,

specifically focusing
on the radio call
that Casey made

to request the paramedics
enter the fire scene.

What?
It's happening.

When?

Next shift.
I'll accompany you.
It'll be fine.

No, it won't.

This is scapegoat time, Chief.
You know it. I know it.

This is endless.

You're the early bird.
Yeah.

Been catching that worm.

Of course.
He drives a convertible.

(ALARM BUZZING)
Yeah.

DISPATCHER OVER PA:
Truck 81, Ambulance 61,

child trapped,
1915 North Clark Drive.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Hey, come on! Get in!

(BRAKES HISS)

Hurry! Come on,
you guys! Hurry!

It's my son, Sebastian.

He climbed up
the prize chute.
Show us.

Coming through.
STELLA: All right, back it up.

Thank you.
Back it up. Back it up.

Kidd, unplug this machine.

Ritter, get these people back.
Mouch, get me the whizzer saw.

Copy.

Can you guys give us
some space, please?

MAN: Yeah, just back up.
Give them some space.
Thank you. Thank you.

Should we just
break the glass?
We can't protect his face.

Hey. Hey, buddy.

Just relax.
We're gonna get
you out of here,

but I need you
to breathe first,
so watch me.

You go in...

(INHALES DEEPLY)

Out. There you go.

Mouch, come on. Let's go.
Yeah.

FOSTER: It's okay, buddy.
You okay?

Yeah. Let's just
get this save.

FOSTER: Just try and relax.
Keep breathing. That's it.

(SAW WHIRRING)

Okay, go in.

Out.

CASEY: Pop it.

FOSTER: Slow it down.
Phillips.

(WHIRRING)

FOSTER: Keep breathing.

You're doing great.
You're doing great.

All right, let's get
his leg down.

Slowly.
Almost there.

(CHILD GROANS)

Take it slow.
Okay, I got you.

There you go.
All right.
You got him?

Okay. Give me
a big breath in, okay?
Okay.

(CROWD CLAMORING)

Sounds okay.

Will you hand me
a pulse ox?

DINOSAUR: (SINGING)
It's your birthday
It's your birthday

Collins. Collins!
What?

Collins,
pulse ox, please.
Sorry.

You're doing great, buddy.

Breathe. Yeah.

All right, we're good to go.
Let's get him to Med.

You guys
can come ride with us.

(CHUCKLES) There you go!

I would like my next
birthday party here,
please.

Thank you so much.
Yeah.

Good job.

(WHISTLING)

What's up, boss man?

How's that going?

It's a great combination
of barely competent
and completely lazy.

So I'll continue searching.

You're gonna have to carry
the load for the next
few shifts, so...

No worries.
Okay. Um, there's a reason
I wanted to talk.

We have an inquiry today
to do with the mattress fire
with a new wrinkle.

Um, they're looking
to blame Casey

for bringing you and Brett
into the fire scene.

That's ridiculous.
Agreed.

Brett and I,
and any paramedic
not named Collins,

would've run
into that building.

I'm glad
to hear you say that.
I feel the same way.

So are you willing
to write that down
for the committee?

Gladly.

Thank you.
Yeah.

I told you I knew this guy.

(CHUCKLES) Busted.

I cannot wait to see
the look on his face.

(CHUCKLES)

(CHUCKLES) Cool.

(LAUGHTER)

Excuse me.
We're here for the
safety hearing.

Through there.
Thank you.

(DOOR OPENS)

These aren't
just firefighters.
Nope.

A lot of
cover-your-ass officials.
Same as it ever was.

(SIGHS)

WOMAN: Gentlemen?

The commission
will see you now.

So you were up above the fire
on the first floor,
changing out your...

My air bottle. Yes, sir.

And you radioed
Chief Boden.

Told him what, exactly?

You have the logs.

Yes, I do.

Captain Casey.
"Chief, I've got
smoke inhalation victims

"that have made it
out of the basement
but can't get outside to you."

"Can you send
Brett and Foster in?"

Chief Boden.
"How's the fire
where you are?"

Captain Casey.

"They're safe up here."

(CROWD MUTTERS)

Captain Casey continues,

"The floor is two feet
of cement.

"Basement's another story."

"They're safe up here."

That's what Captain Matt Casey
declared on May 22, when he...

What was next?

Excuse me?

What was next
in the radio log?

FERGUSON: Um...

You say, "Okay,
I'll send them in."

That's right. I say,
"I'll send them in."

But it was
his responsibility...
The order was mine.

In a fire scene, in all the
chaos and unpredictability,

a firefighter can only relay
back to his incident commander

the information
he has at the time,

but it is up to the chief
to make a decision

where or when to send
the additional resources.

Now, in front of you,

you should all have letters
from Emily Foster
and Sylvie Brett

testifying that
they would have entered
the factory anyway.

But those letters
don't matter.

Because it was I,
not Captain Casey,

not anyone else, but I,

who ordered them
into the fire scene.

So, if you are looking
to blame someone,

if you are looking
for a human scapegoat,
blame me.

I'm gonna go find
a Coke machine.
Do you want anything?

No.

You've been cleared
of all wrongdoing.

It's over.

The other night,
Severide said they're
gonna write this report,

it'll be stamped I'm clear,

and then it'll be shoved
in a desk somewhere
and disappear forever.

Yeah.
It's just...

I lost a firefighter
that day.

I'll never be clear.

Casey's been cleared.

They're not gonna blame
firefighters for anything.

Tragic accident,
full stop.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Lieutenant.

Ritter.
Did you hear him?

Yeah, I heard him.

Listen, I...

I've been thinking
about what you said
that day to me...

Mmm-hmm.

...pretty much non-stop
for months,

and I just want you to know,

I was wrong.

I was wrong to defy
your orders

and you were right
to give them,

and if you ever saw fit
to bring me back to Engine,

I would not hesitate
to follow your command.

Of course,
I'm bringing you
back to Engine.

I'm just loaning
you out to Casey

until he finds
a good fit. All right?

Thank God.

I was worried
that this was
a permanent thing.

No, not at all.
All right?

But listen.

I'm not gonna apologize
for going rough on you.

You not following orders
means that I did not
train you right.

I'm gonna make up
for that when I'm back.

All right,
I look forward to it.

Go on.
All right.

Go.

COLLINS: So,
what you're gonna do

is you're gonna lean back,
angle your head...
MOUCH: Mmm-hmm.

...so only this side
catches the light.
Okay.

That way, the pose
is both slimming
and alluring.

I call it the
"Neiman Marcus" shot.

Okay, like this?

COLLINS: Yeah.
Okay, lean back.

(CHUCKLES)
That's it, dude.

I got to take
a picture of this.

Oh, uh...

Trudy and I are doing
like an early, uh,
Christmas card. It's...

He looks really sexy.

Brett, you got
to call me back.

There is madness
going on in this house,
I am telling you.

(CELL PHONE CHIMES)

Nice piece of land
your folks got here.

Yeah.
We should look
in this area.

Okay. Maybe not
so close.

Right. Sure.

You okay, Sylvie?

Yeah. I mean...

I don't know.

Talk to me.

The firehouse today.

It's just, I think
it's gonna be
a slow house,

and this girl I know,

Hope Jacquinot,
is dating
one of the firemen,

which is gonna bring
some complications

that I'm just not sure
I wanna deal with.

Okay, I was gonna
say this before

but I didn't want it
to come across
the wrong way.

You don't have to work.

What?

I mean, being
a chaplain's wife,
it is work.

A chaplain's wife
does the same thing
as a paramedic.

You help people
get through pain,

you patch 'em up,
you make 'em feel better.

It's about helping people,
which is what
you're so good at.

Um...

Yeah, I hadn't...

I hadn't thought
about it that way.

And maybe you try it out
and then you go back
to work part-time.

Or however...

However you want
to make it work.

Really, no pressure.

Hey, Chief Boden
wants to see us
out on the north apron.

Who does he want?
Everyone.

BODEN: Come on, guys.
Gather round.

Who's gonna remember us?

It is a question
that all of us
who do this job,

we ask ourselves
at one moment
or another.

Who will remember our work
after we're gone?

Brian Zvonecek.

He was our brother.
He was a friend.

He was a hell
of a firefighter.

He was smart,
he was funny,
he was kind.

He was unselfish
and he was loyal.

So...

If you see someone,
a fellow firefighter,

a citizen, a friend standing
looking at this memorial,

I want you to come
down this apron

and you tell them
about Brian.

You tell them the story
about who Brian was,
the kind of man he was.

And that way, you will bring
this memorial to life.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

Yeah, I looked it up.

Those were Brian's last words.

And they mean,

"Brother, I will be
with you always."

(SOBS)

I can't think of a better way
to remember Brian.

So, from this day forward,

this memorial site
is sacred ground.

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)