Third Watch (1999–2005): Season 2, Episode 17 - The Self-Importance of Being Carlos - full transcript
Carlos is rebellious and unaffected by the tragedies around him. During sensitivity training, however, he proves that he has a genuine passion for helping people. Doherty gets scared when he finds out that his former lover is pregnant.
NARRATOR:
Previously on Third Watch:
Bobby's gone, Mom. Bobby's gone.
[SOBBING]
LOMBARDO:
Hey, get off of me!
- You bastard.
- What's wrong with you?
With me?
Tell everybody what you did.
- What are you talking about?
- My girlfriend Linda in the bathroom?
Remember when Jerry got shot?
It was like you were all a family.
I'm no closer to being part of that family.
Check out Don Juan.
Now, that kid has problems. Look at that.
- Oh!
- I admire you.
She admires me.
Heh. Excuse me?
FAITH [IN VOICEOVER]:
Lousy drunk.
I can smell him from here.
If I had two minutes alone with him....
JIMMY:
Look at this thing.
Got here just in time.
Another couple seconds....
SULLY: Just standing around watching
like they're catching a movie.
What the hell's the matter with people?
DOC: Pulse and rhythm normal.
Good breath sounds.
Thank God he's gonna pull through.
CARLOS:
That girl is hot.
Would you look at her ass?
If Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson
had a love child, it'd be that chick.
Look at Doc showing off for her,
saving that guy's life. Big deal.
All he had was a pneumothorax.
I'm the one
with the tension pneumohemo.
[SIREN APPROACHING]
Hey, Doc. My vic's stable.
[HORN HONKS]
That's good.
Yeah, it was touch and go
for a second there, but I got him now.
- Uh, uh-- Congratulations.
- Thanks, man.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
CARLOS:
Dana's hot.
She's got that girl-next-door
kind of hot going for her.
If Helen Hunt and Mary Tyler Moore,
when she was still hot, had a love child...
...that's Dana.
Real sweet and nice-looking.
Sweet and nice-looking girls are hot.
I should throw her some attention,
see what that gets me.
- Something the matter?
- No, nothing.
You got all squinty-eyed.
- Do you have a headache or something?
- No, I'm good.
Okay.
Concerned I have a headache. All right.
How about some Chilean sea bass?
Had some at a restaurant the other night.
It was so good.
You're out of your mind.
Look, you have a choice between that...
...or Walsh here cooking up
his version of meatloaf.
Sounds good to me.
Every day, every shift,
it's the same non-conversation.
"what's for dinner?"
"This weather
we, ve been having is crazy, huh?"
"See the game the other day?
What a game."
Duh.
I wonder if they have a life outside here,
or go home and lock themselves...
...in some kind of 2001: A Space Odyssey
hibernation chamber.
DOC:
Carlos?
- What?
- Yes or no?
Oh, I think--
Well, if you're asking me, no.
- No?
- What?
No, I don't think
We should spend money on fish.
We're not talking about food.
- Do you even listen to us?
- I'm listening.
I'm studying, okay?
I've got a test tomorrow,
and I really need to study.
Excuse me if I'm trying to make something
of myself. I don't have time to sit...
...and listen to you talk about
Whatever nonsense you're babbling about.
We're talking about Bobby.
[BELL BUZZES]
DISPATCHER [OVER SPEAKERS]:
Boyd 553, Adam 553, Engine 100...
...MVA with injuries. 1995 Riverside.
[BELL BUZZES]
Saved by the bell.
[SIGHS]
[SIRENS WAILING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
God.
[CREAKING]
SULLY:
Couple headed out on a road trip.
Car skids on the ice, hits the RV,
shoves it over the bridge.
One of them's hurt pretty bad.
This thing's not gonna hang here all day.
Any way you can stabilize it?
JIMMY: Put a call in to Rescue.
In the meantime, we can get lines on it.
But with the weight,
I don't know they'll hold.
I'll stay out here and coordinate.
You know, to help save weight.
- Yeah. Come on, let's go.
- Yeah.
All right, let's grab some rope,
tie down this RV.
Make sure this truck's locked down tight.
MAN 1: Let's go.
MAN 2: Easy up. Easy.
Got a unit out.
Oh, help us, please.
- I'm Doc. This is Carlos.
- Hey.
- Oh, my God.
- You all right?
Yeah, yeah.
[GRUNTS]
- How you doing, sir?
- Not real good.
Okay. We got a femoral artery pumper.
- Listen, Chuck?
- Yeah?
We're gonna have to get
your leg free, okay?
Yeah.
- Okay.
- When I say go, pull.
- This is gonna hurt some, okay?
- Okay.
- Ready? Pull.
- Yeah.
[SCREAMING]
Okay. We need to do something.
- Just the first try.
- Yeah.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
I'll be right back.
- Doherty. Doherty, you read me?
- Go, Doc.
DOC:
We got one patient caught up.
And he's not getting loose
Without equipment.
We're doing everything we can. But she's
too unstable to send in heavy equipment.
We need Rescue to shore it up.
[CREAKING]
JIMMY:
Doc, the weight's just making it worse.
The line's stretched.
You gotta make a move.
Yeah, yeah, I read you.
- It doesn't look too good, does it?
- Okay, we need to get you out of here.
- I'm not leaving.
- Not leaving? Are you nuts?
- Please, get her out of here.
- Ma'am, we need to go.
Like, now.
We'll come back for him, I promise.
When you asked me to marry you,
I said yes.
So, what makes you think
I'm gonna walk out on you now?
If it's all right, I'll be staying.
[SOFTLY]
Okay.
All right. You two hold on, okay?
We'll be back for you as soon as we can.
- We can't get them out.
- All right, Rescue's en route.
Well, get on the radio
and get them here now.
Squad 55 to Rescue. What's your ETA?
MAN:
This is Rescue 1, we have you in sight.
Estimated time of arrival: one minute.
DOC:
Here they come.
[CREAKING]
Come on! Come on!
[SCRAPING, RUMBLING]
[SIRENS APPROACHING]
[POURING]
CARLOS:
Ugh. I hate this.
We get a hard call. People get killed.
Then everybody walks around
like it's their funeral.
They get depressed at work,
they go home depressed...
...wake up the same way.
It's a cycle.
These people don't know
how to deal with things.
That means, as usual,
I've gotta cheer everybody up.
Hey. How about some pizza?
I'm buying.
Does it look like anybody wants pizza?
I said I'm buying.
Parker, Nieto, sign out.
You're done for the day.
Stress debriefing? What a waste of time.
If there was a scale
that ranked the hugest wastes of time...
...stress debriefing Would be,
like, the hugest.
This is to help us.
We just lost someone in our own house.
The department wants to know
that we can handle a call like we got today.
People died. You know, it's sad.
But they were old.
That woman wanted to go with the man.
They went together.
It's TV "movie of the week" sad.
The only thing missing
is the bulimic and the cancer kid.
You have said some insensitive things,
but you just hit that one out of the park.
Yeah,
because you've never been insensitive.
- What?
- That one call that we had.
The guy doing home repairs,
put the board on his lap...
...drilled a hole in it. I had to ride in back.
You couldn't stop laughing.
- Well, he didn't die.
- He drilled his nads.
I'm sure he wishes he was dead.
- Are you two from the 55th?
- Yes.
I'm Jennika Farabi.
I'll be your CISD counselor.
CARLOS:
Oh, my God.
[INAUDIBLE]
This chick is hot.
If Liz Hurley and that other European chick
who was in that one Bond movie...
...had a love child, this chick would be it.
Anyway, I apologize
for keeping you waiting.
Okay, so who is Mr. Monte--?
Hey. Carlos Nieto.
Okay. Then you would be Mr. Parker.
Well, there are a few ways
We can proceed.
Actually, I was thinking...
...that maybe you and me
could talk first privately.
I've got a lot of stress,
and I really need to be debriefed.
- Hmm.
- I need a lot of debriefing.
So you had a tough call earlier today.
CARLOS:
Tough, yeah.
It's always tough when you lose a vic,
a patient.
But that's part of the game.
See, being a paramedic,
it's all about the people.
People and the children.
There were children
involved in this incident?
I'm saying in general.
I've always believed
that the children are our future.
Teach them Well,
and they will lead the way.
Yeah, it's hard going out there
day after day...
...making a difference...
...saving lives,
being all sensitive and stuff.
But if I didn't do it, who would do it?
And if they did do it, would they do it
as good and as sensitively as me?
People toss the word "hero" around a lot.
Am I a hero? Sure I am.
But I don't like to think of myself as one.
That's for other people.
Wow. Look at the time.
And I still have to get to your partner.
So I think that about does it for us.
- What about my evaluation?
- I've heard all I have to hear.
I mean, I certainly haven't met a paramedic
as considerate, as humane...
...as perfectly suited for his work as you.
Mr. Parker, you can go in now, please.
They got doughnuts. Knock yourself out.
- So that's it?
- Should there be anything else?
I was hoping I could see you again.
Help talk me through my problems.
You don't have a problem.
Maybe you're a bit self-aggrandizing.
But I suppose there's nothing wrong
With a positive mental attitude.
Oh, sure. I come off as rock-solid...
...but on the inside,
sometimes I just need someone to talk to.
- You want a date?
- I wouldn't call it that.
- Carlos, you're a nice guy.
- I know.
And I don't like nice guys.
Now, don't take this wrong.
It's just that you nice guys are so soft.
You like old people and children
and taking in puppies from the rain.
God, I get bored
just thinking about going out with you.
But you're a counselor.
You talk to people. You help people.
That's my job.
But you paint houses for a living...
...doesn't mean you wanna paint yours
When you get home.
[LAUGHS]
This is too funny.
I am nothing like you think I am.
- I'm not really sensitive.
- Don't be ashamed of who you are.
It's the truth.
People are always telling me
that I'm self-centered. I don't care.
That stuff I was saying,
I didn't mean any of it.
- About the people dying?
- A couple of old farts die. Boo-hoo.
- It didn't affect you at all?
- People die all the time.
Just because I'm a paramedic, I'm supposed
to bust out in hearts and flowers?
I do the job because it gives me time
to study, real-world experience.
I wanna be a doctor.
That's all I care about.
I only said that other stuff...
...because I wanted to date you.
That is so low.
See? Do you see what I'm saying?
I'm a bad person.
Do you think it's strange
for someone to like someone else...
...Who just doesn't care about anything?
Well, I don't know.
And I don't care.
- How was that?
- That was great.
- How was I?
- You were great.
- Was I great?
- Terrific.
Great.
You know, if you don't wanna call me
after this, you don't have to.
CARLOS:
God, she's perfect.
If I said four times, I'd be lying...
...you know, because we did it more,
not less.
This girl, she's just--
I mean, she's amazing.
Why don't you
just whip out some pictures?
Here?
I gotta go.
CARLOS:
Jealous. All of them.
Can't blame them, though.
If all I was gonna be was a bucket boy
making city pay, I might just hate me too.
I can't blame them
for the way that they are.
All I can do is wish them well.
Just some friendly advice,
you might wanna give it a little rest.
- What?
- It's been what?
Five, six days
since you've been out with this girl?
And we've gotten, blow by blow,
excuse me, every minute since.
Don't be a player-hater.
You guys talk about your chicks
all the time. Now I finally....
Now I'm dating someone, and I've gotta act
like I got nothing going on? Sorry.
Hey, I got all of Bobby's personal things
together.
I thought tomorrow
I'd take it to his mother's.
If anyone wants to come along,
I know she'd appreciate it.
Count me in.
- Yeah.
- I'll go.
- We'll all go.
- What time? Because I got a test.
Parker, Nieto,
I got your evaluations back from CISD.
Hey, it's like a love note from my girl.
What the hell
did you put in here about me?
"Clinically insensate,
devoid of compassion...
...may be emotionally unsuited
to be a paramedic."
You were sufficiently detached
from the deaths of people...
...to warrant such remarks.
I said I was sorry that they died.
You said, "A couple of old farts died.
Boo-hoo. People die all the time.
Just because I'm a paramedic, I'm supposed
to bust out in hearts and flowers?"
I only said that to impress you.
"People die all the time"
is supposed to impress me?
You said that I was too sensitive,
so I had to show that I was insensitive.
- So you were lying?
- Yes.
And you were lying in my office.
Which is it?
Are you a habitual liar
or an emotionally bankrupt human?
Which is worse?
- Ugh.
- You know, why are you getting on me?
You're not exactly the queen
of a thousand smiles. I'm not under review.
- You are.
- This is gonna go into my jacket.
Do you know how this is gonna read
When I come up for review?
I need this job for school, for my career.
I only recommended
you get sensitivity training.
Once you adequately complete that,
it goes into your jacket along with this.
To think I almost called you again.
Hey, Jimmy. You got a second?
I don't know how to say this,
except to say...
...Linda's pregnant.
- Oh, God.
- Jimmy.
- Jimmy.
- No, I can't believe this is happening.
Jimmy, it's not yours.
The baby's mine.
So it's a good thing?
It's a good thing.
We're getting back together.
We're gonna try, anyway.
When she told me
I was gonna be a father...
...I was so happy.
The first thing I wanted to do...
...tell my best friend.
I realized that's you.
DOC: I've heard a lot of funny things
in my life, but this--
CARLOS: Is not funny.
- Come on.
You try to play this girl
With all your sweet lines.
And when that doesn't work, you try
to get some loving by being the real you.
Okay. And then she smacks you back
by making you take sensitivity training?
- How is that funny?
- You don't see the irony?
The irony I see. The humor I'm missing.
Come on. You make your bed,
and then you screw yourself in it.
[LAUGHS]
So you have to take a couple of sensitivity
sessions. It's not the end of the world.
- Little help here?
- Sorry, sir.
If I don't satisfactorily complete
the sessions...
...Jennika's evaluation looks bad
When I come up for review.
That could cost me my job.
We'll have you in the hospital
in a few minutes, okay?
Man, if you really wanted
to be a paramedic, that might be a problem.
- But since you don't--
- I don't wanna be a paramedic forever.
But I want this job.
I need the time to study.
I need the experience.
And it goes a long Way
to cover some not-so-great grades.
What I don't need
is for every med school I apply to...
...to find out I got fired
from an emergency medical position...
...because I'm an emotional black hole.
Then you take the course,
and you put it behind you.
And then you forget about it.
Or they put a worse evaluation.
I'm cold, self-centered and aloof.
I wouldn't say that about you.
You didn'two days after I met you.
You've gotta be kidding me.
[DOOR CLOSES]
This is a load of crap, huh?
- What are you doing here?
- You mean this isn't Jazzercise class?
What do you think I'm doing?
I got BS civilians, complaints.
Christopher's making me suffer.
- What happened?
- Ah. I had some trouble with a can.
- A can?
- Yeah, a Dominican, a Mexican.
I don't know. One of them
south-of-the-border greaseballs.
The Dominican Republic is an island.
And I'm part Hispanic.
- But you're one of the good ones.
- Okay, it's obvious why you're here.
- What's your story?
- I slept with a girl.
- Now I gotta wear this stupid nametag.
- There are worse ways to die.
If we can, I'd like to get started.
Hey, piece of advice
if you wanna skate through this.
He's gonna tell you to be honest.
Honest never got anybody anything.
Just tell this guy what he wants to hear.
- You've done this before?
- I practically have reserve parking.
Good afternoon. I'm Lieutenant Lewis.
I'm an EEO officer with the city.
The reasons you are here are various.
But you are here.
That means there's a problem.
Now, these sessions center
on the equal treatment of peers...
...superiors, subordinates and civilians...
...regardless of race, gender or ethnicity.
In your professions...
...being sensitive is more important
than almost any other line of Work.
You're in a very special service sector.
- "People are depending on you."
- People are depending on you.
- "To be there for them--"
- You have to be there for--
Boscorelli?
I was just helping out the new guy.
I'm sure the new guy
can do fine on his own.
You're right.
I think I can do okay on my own.
In fact,
can I speak with you for a moment?
- You are?
- Carlos Nieto.
And I really shouldn't be here.
- I have you down.
- Yeah. No, I'm supposed to be here.
But I shouldn't be here.
See, I don't have a problem.
I'm not saying that you have problems.
I'm just saying that I don't have a problem,
because what you were saying before.
And how we have to have
a special responsibility. I know that now.
- You do?
- Yeah, and you have to be...
...you know, compassionate and respectful
of other people and their feelings.
- And their time.
- Their time too. Right.
So do you think it's respectful
of everyone else here...
...to stand up and interrupt this session
because you don't wanna be here?
- Bosco interrupted.
- Mr. Nieto, since you're a changed man...
...Why don't we do this?
If in the next session you can come back
and adequately demonstrate to us...
...that you understand
What compassion is...
...I'll forgive your rude interruption.
And we can talk about releasing you.
- How do I do that?
- However you please.
CARLOS: "Compassion. Deep awareness
of the suffering of another...
...coupled with the wish to relieve it.
Synonymous with pitty.
Mide English,,compassion.,
From late Latin,,compassio.,
Compassion.
From, compassius., Past participle..."
Oh. That's stupid. Who cares about that?
Ay, Chihuahua.
Hey.
"According
to the Oxford English Dictionary...
...until the mid-1 7th century,
compassion denoted fellow feeling...
...meaning 'to suffer together with.'
And suggested suffering
shared by equals.
That meaning, however, has faded
into the contemporary one...
...'to be moved by the suffering of another
and by the desire to relieve it.'
With the compassionate person
implicitly superior to the sufferer.
Therefore, I think that I can safely say
that the road to superiority...
...is paved with compassion."
Thank you.
Well, that was certainly clinical, factual.
Pretty good, huh?
I spent, like, all morning on this.
Factual to a fault.
You're not in these sessions,
none of you, for book knowledge.
It's not enough to learn compassion
up here.
You have to understand it here as well.
That's why you're not only evaluated here,
but also on the job by your senior partners.
My senior partner? That's Doc.
- Is that a problem?
- He hates me.
Yeah, that'd be a problem.
--to be a determination of you
as a person.
KIM: I think it was good. I mean, now I do.
I mean, taking a couple weeks off.
At first, I thought
I should just get back into work...
...give me something to focus on,
help me get over what happened.
But that would have just been running away
from things. I had to deal with it. I had to.
And now I'm over it.
Oh.
You ride with a guy all day,
every shift, for how long?
- And you get over that in a couple weeks?
- No.
I'm never gonna be over
What happened to him.
But I'm getting beyond it.
You know? Anger, denial, acceptance.
Two of the three get you nothing.
You have to accept things. I accept things.
If you want me to spend some more time
With Joey, give you some time to....
Thank you. But I think I surprised myself.
You know, how good I'm doing.
[TEA KETTLE WHISTLING]
I'll get that.
They're just caffeine pills.
- Empty boxes is what they are.
- Well, I've been having trouble sleeping.
They're just something to help me
keep going during the day.
How long
you been having trouble sleeping?
Jimmy, it's nothing.
Really. I'm good.
I appreciate your worry. But you know,
save it for someone who needs it.
CARLOS:
I don't believe it.
Why do these things
always happen to me?
I try to do good,
and all I get for my trying is bit in the ass.
Compassion.
Like I don't care about people.
Why do people always treat me
like I'm self-centered?
BOSCO:
Hey.
- You hear what I'm saying?
- Yeah. Yeah, you were saying....
I was saying, don't feel so bad.
I think that little thing
you wrote was good.
I think it's just Lewis
is just one tough SOB, you know?
You know, it's messed up.
I do my job. I do it good.
None of that seems to matter
because some doctor's worried...
...how I don't give out hugs and lollipops
With every damn arrest.
- How you doing, Carlos?
- Yokas.
FAITH:
You almost ready?
I'm eating. Can I finish eating?
Yeah, you can finish eating.
Then we'll start our shift.
And the first thing you'll wanna do
is go get a sandwich.
I'm storing calories. No need to get an
appetite when I'm trying to outrun the yos.
- What were you guys talking about?
- Compassion.
So that was a pretty short conversation,
huh?
Nobody thinks I got feelings.
Bosco, that's not fair. You have feelings.
You just have them buried somewhere
in a shallow grave in Jersey.
Hey, no jokes.
Carlos here's job's on the line.
Sensitivity's not something
I learned in foster care.
Only thing I learned about compassion
Was from my old man:
"Hit a woman in the gut, not the face.
It don't show."
And I learned that a good drunk
is a quiet drunk...
...because they don't
Wake up the neighbors.
- Where did you learn to be decent?
- Excuse me?
- Where did you learn to be decent?
FAITH: Learned?
That's an odd way of putting it,
don't you think?
I mean, isn't it just something
that you know?
I don't know. You tell me.
I wanna know, to you,
What is compassion?
It's caring about other people.
- Is that why you're here?
- I'm here because it's my job.
So it's your job
You don't care about people?
Of course I care about people. It's both.
All right, guy. You hold on.
Half hour, you're gonna laugh about this
With your buddies.
But, I mean, you wanted to play baseball.
- Would you be playing ball if you could?
- Yeah, I would if I could.
It's not that you're compassionate. You're
just here because you screwed up in life.
[WHIRRING]
ALEX:
What kind of question is that? What is--?
Compassion, to you.
Why did you wanna become
a fire, um, person?
Uh.... My dad made me do it.
[CHUCKLES]
- That's funny?
- Not if it's not supposed to be.
Let me explain something to you
about my dad. He bleeds red.
- Doesn't everybody?
- Fire red.
He's one of those old-school guys.
You know, everyone in the neighborhood
Was a fireman.
Always wanted to be a fireman.
Became one right out of school,
been one his whole life.
When he had a kid,
he was gonna be a fireman too.
He was gonna be one too?
- What's my first name?
- Alex.
You know what that's short for? "Alex
is what I'm calling Whatever kid I have.
I want a boy.
I'm not dealing with anything else."
So, whatever kid he was gonna have,
Was gonna join FDNY, too, right?
Hell, no. My dad didn't think
I could hack FDNY.
Used to have buddies over,
play poker, drink beer.
He'd point at me and go,
"Look at my little girl.
Only fire she'll ever put out
is if she burns a pot roast."
- One of us was wrong about things.
- So you're doing this to show your dad up.
- Where's compassion come in?
- I got a lot of compassion.
If there's a building on fire,
and someone caught...
...it's like I go into a zone.
I mean, it's my job to get to that person,
and I don't worry about flashover...
...or collapse or sucking smoke.
That's not compassion.
That's being an adrenaline junkie.
Labels are so misleading.
Like how they call rocky road,
"rocky road."
Really, it's just some almonds
and a couple chunks of chocolate in it.
- There's marshmallows too.
- Exactly.
[HORN HONKS]
- What section are you reading?
- Metro.
- Article?
- Yeah.
- What about?
- Stuff.
Is that what you normally do?
You read the Metro section first?
- What?
- What?
What?
- What?
- What are you doing?
I'm trying to have a conversation.
What are you doing?
Metro, article, stuff.
It's like talking to a parrot.
Every time I say
more than three words to you...
...you squirm around
like you're sitting through an opera.
I decided to do myself a favor and just cut
to the chase. Metro, article, stuff.
- What else do you need to know?
- Am I that bad?
Most times, yes. Sometimes worse.
That's why I'm trying to talk.
I don't have good people skills.
You know that. So I, m trying to learn
how to relate better, how to care more.
Look, I want you to teach me.
[CHUCKLES]
What do you mean?
Teach you how to care about people?
This is not funny to me.
To me, this is serious.
You're the one that's gotta evaluate me.
Instead of making fun, why don't you help?
You just used the word "me"
five times in four seconds.
I'm not sure, but I think
the Guinness people owe you a plaque.
I'm asking you for help.
Every time some yahoo's
got some stupid problem...
...you can't wait to jump in and do good.
You can't do the same
When I need help?
One of your issues might be...
...that you think of other people's problems
as stupid.
- And you call them yahoos.
- Are you gonna help me?
[SIGHS]
Okay.
[CHUCKLES]
I work with this volunteer group,
Urban Rebuilders.
Now, every Saturday, we clean out
abandoned tenements the city owns...
...and we rebuild them
into low-income housing.
Now, it's a lot of hard work...
...but if you really wanna learn
about helping people....
I'm down for that.
You have to be there
at the location at 6.
- In the morning?
- Yeah.
So I have to get up at, like, 5
on a Saturday...
...to go tear down
some stupid apartments?
- See?
- Okay, okay. The apartments aren't stupid.
But you gotta admit,
getting up at 5 on a Saturday is nuts.
Well, I get up at 4.
You done with the paper?
MAN:
Good arm.
Yeah, I love coming down here,
throwing toilets out windows...
...tearing up floors.
It's a good way to get aggression out.
How many people get to use
destructive force for positive change?
As far as I know,
just members of the Justice League.
[MEN YELLING]
If you wanna use destructive force...
...We need to strip down the rotted wood
off these walls, so--
Who's yelling?
A homeless guy trying to make off
With that toilet you just threw out.
One of our volunteers
just got in a fight with him.
Who in the hell fights
over a busted toilet?
- Put it down!
- I found it!
You found it.
It's not yours, so put it down.
DOC: Carlos?
- Don't make me snatch that.
- I got friends that are cops.
- What are you doing?
- Protecting our property.
- We're throwing it away.
From a building that we're cleaning out.
It's our jurisdiction.
We don't want it.
Well, he doesn't need it.
What's a homeless guy need a toilet for?
- And what do you need it for?
- It's not about need.
You can't let people take things.
There's gotta be a procedure. Otherwise--
Otherwise, homeless people will be
picking up busted toilets left and right.
And anarchy reigns. Take the toilet.
- No, Doc.
- Take it and go.
What is the matter with you?
You come here because you wanna learn
about being compassionate.
What do you do? You complain
about getting up early, pick fights...
...and you hit on female volunteers.
One girl! And she was hot!
You know what?
I'm not gonna waste my day with you...
...because I'm really starting to think
that you're beyond help.
I'm starting to think I'm beyond help too.
Carlos, it's not magic.
And it's nothing special.
And it's not about you.
You wanna be compassionate?
Put yourself second, if at all.
Why don't you just start living your life
that way? The rest will take care of itself.
It's another dollar-eighty.
I think I'm a little short.
- I don't have my cards.
- You gonna buy or what?
CARLOS: wait a second.
I should do something here.
But what?
Think, Carlos.
What would Doc do?
He'd be nice.
Okay, how do you be nice?
Oh! Damn you, brain.
Hey, here you go.
Are you sure?
Um....
Yeah.
- I appreciate it. Thanks.
- Don't worry about it.
Shoot.
Wait. Hold it! Hold it!
- Thank you so much.
- Don't worry about it.
Hey.
- That's nice of you.
- Hey, don't you worry about it.
- So how you doing?
- Good.
- Things are good?
- They're fine.
You know, usually when somebody asks
how you're doing...
...the thing to do is ask them
how they're doing back.
- How are you doing, Carlos?
- I'm doing great.
You know what I've been into lately?
Being nice.
- Nice?
- Yeah.
Like, helping people out,
and listening to them When they're talking.
Yeah. Now I know why you do it
all the time. It feels good.
It feels really good.
This is the way people who go to church
must feel.
I heard it's similar, yeah.
DISPATCHER: Adam 553. Unknown medical,
2343 West End. Three-Charlie.
2343 West End. Three-Charlie.
All right. Let's go help some people.
[SIREN WAILING]
Look, kids.
Yeah.
WOMAN:
I told him not to do it.
- I told him he didn't have to fix it.
CARLOS: what happened?
We live alone. He doesn't want me
to spend the money.
- He tries to do things himself.
- What happened?
He was trying to fix the light. And then
there was this noise, and then a pop.
Okay, he's not breathing.
Give me the quick looks.
- You need to get back.
- Please.
You have to be all right.
I can't lose you too.
- I need to get in there.
- Rapid faint pulse. I need to get his rhythm.
- Please.
- It was just a bit of money.
- I would have spent it on an electrician.
- Please.
Ma'am, shut up!
Shut up and get away from him.
Do you wanna kill him?
Sit down and stay out of the way!
Carlos, leave her alone,
and get over here and help me.
- Just stay out of our way. You got it?
DOC: Carlos!
[MONITOR BEEPING RAPIDLY]
CARLOS: All right.
- Looks like SVT with block.
It's V-tach, man. I'm gonna cardiovert.
No. Let's try Adenosine-6 first
and see what happens.
With a thready pulse at 220?
Forget it. He's gonna code.
I just read a review in the Annals.
Trust me.
Okay. Okay, do it.
Clear.
[CONTINUOUS TONE]
Come on.
Come on.
[BEEPING STEADILY]
[SIGHS]
DOC:
Good call back there. Good instinct.
- You gonna put that in my evaluation?
- Yes.
CARLOS:
What else are you gonna put in?
DOC:
The truth.
I had to get her out of the way.
We had to do our work.
It's not about what you did.
It's about how you did it.
LEWIS:
Mr. Nieto?
Mr. Nieto?
Is there anything you'd like to say?
There is nothing to say.
It's all in the evaluation, right?
Yes, it is.
Then I guess I'm just wasting your time.
And that's not real compassionate, is it?
No time is wasted
that makes us better people.
That's a matter of opinion.
What is better?
I saved a guy's life.
And you should be proud of it.
But that's not what these sessions
are about.
What are they about?
Singing songs and holding hands?
Is that what's important?
Because you know what,
I talked around.
And, yeah, there are a whole bunch
of people in the EMS...
...Who are full of compassion.
Lucky them.
I never had a family to teach it to me.
I never learned it when I was getting
bumped around in foster care.
But unlike most, I'm here
because I want to be here.
Not because it's my second choice.
Or the only thing that worked out.
I'm here because I want to be
the best paramedic that I can be...
...so I can become the best doctor
that I can be.
So, no. I don't know thing one
about compassion.
But I've got passion for what I do.
Ask every person I've ever treated
Who's still walking because of that.
Which is more important?
That I was soft-hearted...
...or that I was good at my job?
BOSCO:
Nieto.
Hey, Carlos. Hold up, man. Hold up.
That was....
You were great in there, man.
You're right. Holding hands is one thing.
Doing our job is completely different.
What you said
about never having a family--
You believe that crap?
Come on, man.
I was just shining him on to get a pass.
You're the one that said it.
Tell him what he wants to hear.
Where did the truth ever get you?
[LAUGHS]
Yeah, it's a bunch of bull.
I didn't buy it for a minute.
- See you later.
- All right.
Previously on Third Watch:
Bobby's gone, Mom. Bobby's gone.
[SOBBING]
LOMBARDO:
Hey, get off of me!
- You bastard.
- What's wrong with you?
With me?
Tell everybody what you did.
- What are you talking about?
- My girlfriend Linda in the bathroom?
Remember when Jerry got shot?
It was like you were all a family.
I'm no closer to being part of that family.
Check out Don Juan.
Now, that kid has problems. Look at that.
- Oh!
- I admire you.
She admires me.
Heh. Excuse me?
FAITH [IN VOICEOVER]:
Lousy drunk.
I can smell him from here.
If I had two minutes alone with him....
JIMMY:
Look at this thing.
Got here just in time.
Another couple seconds....
SULLY: Just standing around watching
like they're catching a movie.
What the hell's the matter with people?
DOC: Pulse and rhythm normal.
Good breath sounds.
Thank God he's gonna pull through.
CARLOS:
That girl is hot.
Would you look at her ass?
If Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson
had a love child, it'd be that chick.
Look at Doc showing off for her,
saving that guy's life. Big deal.
All he had was a pneumothorax.
I'm the one
with the tension pneumohemo.
[SIREN APPROACHING]
Hey, Doc. My vic's stable.
[HORN HONKS]
That's good.
Yeah, it was touch and go
for a second there, but I got him now.
- Uh, uh-- Congratulations.
- Thanks, man.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
CARLOS:
Dana's hot.
She's got that girl-next-door
kind of hot going for her.
If Helen Hunt and Mary Tyler Moore,
when she was still hot, had a love child...
...that's Dana.
Real sweet and nice-looking.
Sweet and nice-looking girls are hot.
I should throw her some attention,
see what that gets me.
- Something the matter?
- No, nothing.
You got all squinty-eyed.
- Do you have a headache or something?
- No, I'm good.
Okay.
Concerned I have a headache. All right.
How about some Chilean sea bass?
Had some at a restaurant the other night.
It was so good.
You're out of your mind.
Look, you have a choice between that...
...or Walsh here cooking up
his version of meatloaf.
Sounds good to me.
Every day, every shift,
it's the same non-conversation.
"what's for dinner?"
"This weather
we, ve been having is crazy, huh?"
"See the game the other day?
What a game."
Duh.
I wonder if they have a life outside here,
or go home and lock themselves...
...in some kind of 2001: A Space Odyssey
hibernation chamber.
DOC:
Carlos?
- What?
- Yes or no?
Oh, I think--
Well, if you're asking me, no.
- No?
- What?
No, I don't think
We should spend money on fish.
We're not talking about food.
- Do you even listen to us?
- I'm listening.
I'm studying, okay?
I've got a test tomorrow,
and I really need to study.
Excuse me if I'm trying to make something
of myself. I don't have time to sit...
...and listen to you talk about
Whatever nonsense you're babbling about.
We're talking about Bobby.
[BELL BUZZES]
DISPATCHER [OVER SPEAKERS]:
Boyd 553, Adam 553, Engine 100...
...MVA with injuries. 1995 Riverside.
[BELL BUZZES]
Saved by the bell.
[SIGHS]
[SIRENS WAILING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
God.
[CREAKING]
SULLY:
Couple headed out on a road trip.
Car skids on the ice, hits the RV,
shoves it over the bridge.
One of them's hurt pretty bad.
This thing's not gonna hang here all day.
Any way you can stabilize it?
JIMMY: Put a call in to Rescue.
In the meantime, we can get lines on it.
But with the weight,
I don't know they'll hold.
I'll stay out here and coordinate.
You know, to help save weight.
- Yeah. Come on, let's go.
- Yeah.
All right, let's grab some rope,
tie down this RV.
Make sure this truck's locked down tight.
MAN 1: Let's go.
MAN 2: Easy up. Easy.
Got a unit out.
Oh, help us, please.
- I'm Doc. This is Carlos.
- Hey.
- Oh, my God.
- You all right?
Yeah, yeah.
[GRUNTS]
- How you doing, sir?
- Not real good.
Okay. We got a femoral artery pumper.
- Listen, Chuck?
- Yeah?
We're gonna have to get
your leg free, okay?
Yeah.
- Okay.
- When I say go, pull.
- This is gonna hurt some, okay?
- Okay.
- Ready? Pull.
- Yeah.
[SCREAMING]
Okay. We need to do something.
- Just the first try.
- Yeah.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
I'll be right back.
- Doherty. Doherty, you read me?
- Go, Doc.
DOC:
We got one patient caught up.
And he's not getting loose
Without equipment.
We're doing everything we can. But she's
too unstable to send in heavy equipment.
We need Rescue to shore it up.
[CREAKING]
JIMMY:
Doc, the weight's just making it worse.
The line's stretched.
You gotta make a move.
Yeah, yeah, I read you.
- It doesn't look too good, does it?
- Okay, we need to get you out of here.
- I'm not leaving.
- Not leaving? Are you nuts?
- Please, get her out of here.
- Ma'am, we need to go.
Like, now.
We'll come back for him, I promise.
When you asked me to marry you,
I said yes.
So, what makes you think
I'm gonna walk out on you now?
If it's all right, I'll be staying.
[SOFTLY]
Okay.
All right. You two hold on, okay?
We'll be back for you as soon as we can.
- We can't get them out.
- All right, Rescue's en route.
Well, get on the radio
and get them here now.
Squad 55 to Rescue. What's your ETA?
MAN:
This is Rescue 1, we have you in sight.
Estimated time of arrival: one minute.
DOC:
Here they come.
[CREAKING]
Come on! Come on!
[SCRAPING, RUMBLING]
[SIRENS APPROACHING]
[POURING]
CARLOS:
Ugh. I hate this.
We get a hard call. People get killed.
Then everybody walks around
like it's their funeral.
They get depressed at work,
they go home depressed...
...wake up the same way.
It's a cycle.
These people don't know
how to deal with things.
That means, as usual,
I've gotta cheer everybody up.
Hey. How about some pizza?
I'm buying.
Does it look like anybody wants pizza?
I said I'm buying.
Parker, Nieto, sign out.
You're done for the day.
Stress debriefing? What a waste of time.
If there was a scale
that ranked the hugest wastes of time...
...stress debriefing Would be,
like, the hugest.
This is to help us.
We just lost someone in our own house.
The department wants to know
that we can handle a call like we got today.
People died. You know, it's sad.
But they were old.
That woman wanted to go with the man.
They went together.
It's TV "movie of the week" sad.
The only thing missing
is the bulimic and the cancer kid.
You have said some insensitive things,
but you just hit that one out of the park.
Yeah,
because you've never been insensitive.
- What?
- That one call that we had.
The guy doing home repairs,
put the board on his lap...
...drilled a hole in it. I had to ride in back.
You couldn't stop laughing.
- Well, he didn't die.
- He drilled his nads.
I'm sure he wishes he was dead.
- Are you two from the 55th?
- Yes.
I'm Jennika Farabi.
I'll be your CISD counselor.
CARLOS:
Oh, my God.
[INAUDIBLE]
This chick is hot.
If Liz Hurley and that other European chick
who was in that one Bond movie...
...had a love child, this chick would be it.
Anyway, I apologize
for keeping you waiting.
Okay, so who is Mr. Monte--?
Hey. Carlos Nieto.
Okay. Then you would be Mr. Parker.
Well, there are a few ways
We can proceed.
Actually, I was thinking...
...that maybe you and me
could talk first privately.
I've got a lot of stress,
and I really need to be debriefed.
- Hmm.
- I need a lot of debriefing.
So you had a tough call earlier today.
CARLOS:
Tough, yeah.
It's always tough when you lose a vic,
a patient.
But that's part of the game.
See, being a paramedic,
it's all about the people.
People and the children.
There were children
involved in this incident?
I'm saying in general.
I've always believed
that the children are our future.
Teach them Well,
and they will lead the way.
Yeah, it's hard going out there
day after day...
...making a difference...
...saving lives,
being all sensitive and stuff.
But if I didn't do it, who would do it?
And if they did do it, would they do it
as good and as sensitively as me?
People toss the word "hero" around a lot.
Am I a hero? Sure I am.
But I don't like to think of myself as one.
That's for other people.
Wow. Look at the time.
And I still have to get to your partner.
So I think that about does it for us.
- What about my evaluation?
- I've heard all I have to hear.
I mean, I certainly haven't met a paramedic
as considerate, as humane...
...as perfectly suited for his work as you.
Mr. Parker, you can go in now, please.
They got doughnuts. Knock yourself out.
- So that's it?
- Should there be anything else?
I was hoping I could see you again.
Help talk me through my problems.
You don't have a problem.
Maybe you're a bit self-aggrandizing.
But I suppose there's nothing wrong
With a positive mental attitude.
Oh, sure. I come off as rock-solid...
...but on the inside,
sometimes I just need someone to talk to.
- You want a date?
- I wouldn't call it that.
- Carlos, you're a nice guy.
- I know.
And I don't like nice guys.
Now, don't take this wrong.
It's just that you nice guys are so soft.
You like old people and children
and taking in puppies from the rain.
God, I get bored
just thinking about going out with you.
But you're a counselor.
You talk to people. You help people.
That's my job.
But you paint houses for a living...
...doesn't mean you wanna paint yours
When you get home.
[LAUGHS]
This is too funny.
I am nothing like you think I am.
- I'm not really sensitive.
- Don't be ashamed of who you are.
It's the truth.
People are always telling me
that I'm self-centered. I don't care.
That stuff I was saying,
I didn't mean any of it.
- About the people dying?
- A couple of old farts die. Boo-hoo.
- It didn't affect you at all?
- People die all the time.
Just because I'm a paramedic, I'm supposed
to bust out in hearts and flowers?
I do the job because it gives me time
to study, real-world experience.
I wanna be a doctor.
That's all I care about.
I only said that other stuff...
...because I wanted to date you.
That is so low.
See? Do you see what I'm saying?
I'm a bad person.
Do you think it's strange
for someone to like someone else...
...Who just doesn't care about anything?
Well, I don't know.
And I don't care.
- How was that?
- That was great.
- How was I?
- You were great.
- Was I great?
- Terrific.
Great.
You know, if you don't wanna call me
after this, you don't have to.
CARLOS:
God, she's perfect.
If I said four times, I'd be lying...
...you know, because we did it more,
not less.
This girl, she's just--
I mean, she's amazing.
Why don't you
just whip out some pictures?
Here?
I gotta go.
CARLOS:
Jealous. All of them.
Can't blame them, though.
If all I was gonna be was a bucket boy
making city pay, I might just hate me too.
I can't blame them
for the way that they are.
All I can do is wish them well.
Just some friendly advice,
you might wanna give it a little rest.
- What?
- It's been what?
Five, six days
since you've been out with this girl?
And we've gotten, blow by blow,
excuse me, every minute since.
Don't be a player-hater.
You guys talk about your chicks
all the time. Now I finally....
Now I'm dating someone, and I've gotta act
like I got nothing going on? Sorry.
Hey, I got all of Bobby's personal things
together.
I thought tomorrow
I'd take it to his mother's.
If anyone wants to come along,
I know she'd appreciate it.
Count me in.
- Yeah.
- I'll go.
- We'll all go.
- What time? Because I got a test.
Parker, Nieto,
I got your evaluations back from CISD.
Hey, it's like a love note from my girl.
What the hell
did you put in here about me?
"Clinically insensate,
devoid of compassion...
...may be emotionally unsuited
to be a paramedic."
You were sufficiently detached
from the deaths of people...
...to warrant such remarks.
I said I was sorry that they died.
You said, "A couple of old farts died.
Boo-hoo. People die all the time.
Just because I'm a paramedic, I'm supposed
to bust out in hearts and flowers?"
I only said that to impress you.
"People die all the time"
is supposed to impress me?
You said that I was too sensitive,
so I had to show that I was insensitive.
- So you were lying?
- Yes.
And you were lying in my office.
Which is it?
Are you a habitual liar
or an emotionally bankrupt human?
Which is worse?
- Ugh.
- You know, why are you getting on me?
You're not exactly the queen
of a thousand smiles. I'm not under review.
- You are.
- This is gonna go into my jacket.
Do you know how this is gonna read
When I come up for review?
I need this job for school, for my career.
I only recommended
you get sensitivity training.
Once you adequately complete that,
it goes into your jacket along with this.
To think I almost called you again.
Hey, Jimmy. You got a second?
I don't know how to say this,
except to say...
...Linda's pregnant.
- Oh, God.
- Jimmy.
- Jimmy.
- No, I can't believe this is happening.
Jimmy, it's not yours.
The baby's mine.
So it's a good thing?
It's a good thing.
We're getting back together.
We're gonna try, anyway.
When she told me
I was gonna be a father...
...I was so happy.
The first thing I wanted to do...
...tell my best friend.
I realized that's you.
DOC: I've heard a lot of funny things
in my life, but this--
CARLOS: Is not funny.
- Come on.
You try to play this girl
With all your sweet lines.
And when that doesn't work, you try
to get some loving by being the real you.
Okay. And then she smacks you back
by making you take sensitivity training?
- How is that funny?
- You don't see the irony?
The irony I see. The humor I'm missing.
Come on. You make your bed,
and then you screw yourself in it.
[LAUGHS]
So you have to take a couple of sensitivity
sessions. It's not the end of the world.
- Little help here?
- Sorry, sir.
If I don't satisfactorily complete
the sessions...
...Jennika's evaluation looks bad
When I come up for review.
That could cost me my job.
We'll have you in the hospital
in a few minutes, okay?
Man, if you really wanted
to be a paramedic, that might be a problem.
- But since you don't--
- I don't wanna be a paramedic forever.
But I want this job.
I need the time to study.
I need the experience.
And it goes a long Way
to cover some not-so-great grades.
What I don't need
is for every med school I apply to...
...to find out I got fired
from an emergency medical position...
...because I'm an emotional black hole.
Then you take the course,
and you put it behind you.
And then you forget about it.
Or they put a worse evaluation.
I'm cold, self-centered and aloof.
I wouldn't say that about you.
You didn'two days after I met you.
You've gotta be kidding me.
[DOOR CLOSES]
This is a load of crap, huh?
- What are you doing here?
- You mean this isn't Jazzercise class?
What do you think I'm doing?
I got BS civilians, complaints.
Christopher's making me suffer.
- What happened?
- Ah. I had some trouble with a can.
- A can?
- Yeah, a Dominican, a Mexican.
I don't know. One of them
south-of-the-border greaseballs.
The Dominican Republic is an island.
And I'm part Hispanic.
- But you're one of the good ones.
- Okay, it's obvious why you're here.
- What's your story?
- I slept with a girl.
- Now I gotta wear this stupid nametag.
- There are worse ways to die.
If we can, I'd like to get started.
Hey, piece of advice
if you wanna skate through this.
He's gonna tell you to be honest.
Honest never got anybody anything.
Just tell this guy what he wants to hear.
- You've done this before?
- I practically have reserve parking.
Good afternoon. I'm Lieutenant Lewis.
I'm an EEO officer with the city.
The reasons you are here are various.
But you are here.
That means there's a problem.
Now, these sessions center
on the equal treatment of peers...
...superiors, subordinates and civilians...
...regardless of race, gender or ethnicity.
In your professions...
...being sensitive is more important
than almost any other line of Work.
You're in a very special service sector.
- "People are depending on you."
- People are depending on you.
- "To be there for them--"
- You have to be there for--
Boscorelli?
I was just helping out the new guy.
I'm sure the new guy
can do fine on his own.
You're right.
I think I can do okay on my own.
In fact,
can I speak with you for a moment?
- You are?
- Carlos Nieto.
And I really shouldn't be here.
- I have you down.
- Yeah. No, I'm supposed to be here.
But I shouldn't be here.
See, I don't have a problem.
I'm not saying that you have problems.
I'm just saying that I don't have a problem,
because what you were saying before.
And how we have to have
a special responsibility. I know that now.
- You do?
- Yeah, and you have to be...
...you know, compassionate and respectful
of other people and their feelings.
- And their time.
- Their time too. Right.
So do you think it's respectful
of everyone else here...
...to stand up and interrupt this session
because you don't wanna be here?
- Bosco interrupted.
- Mr. Nieto, since you're a changed man...
...Why don't we do this?
If in the next session you can come back
and adequately demonstrate to us...
...that you understand
What compassion is...
...I'll forgive your rude interruption.
And we can talk about releasing you.
- How do I do that?
- However you please.
CARLOS: "Compassion. Deep awareness
of the suffering of another...
...coupled with the wish to relieve it.
Synonymous with pitty.
Mide English,,compassion.,
From late Latin,,compassio.,
Compassion.
From, compassius., Past participle..."
Oh. That's stupid. Who cares about that?
Ay, Chihuahua.
Hey.
"According
to the Oxford English Dictionary...
...until the mid-1 7th century,
compassion denoted fellow feeling...
...meaning 'to suffer together with.'
And suggested suffering
shared by equals.
That meaning, however, has faded
into the contemporary one...
...'to be moved by the suffering of another
and by the desire to relieve it.'
With the compassionate person
implicitly superior to the sufferer.
Therefore, I think that I can safely say
that the road to superiority...
...is paved with compassion."
Thank you.
Well, that was certainly clinical, factual.
Pretty good, huh?
I spent, like, all morning on this.
Factual to a fault.
You're not in these sessions,
none of you, for book knowledge.
It's not enough to learn compassion
up here.
You have to understand it here as well.
That's why you're not only evaluated here,
but also on the job by your senior partners.
My senior partner? That's Doc.
- Is that a problem?
- He hates me.
Yeah, that'd be a problem.
--to be a determination of you
as a person.
KIM: I think it was good. I mean, now I do.
I mean, taking a couple weeks off.
At first, I thought
I should just get back into work...
...give me something to focus on,
help me get over what happened.
But that would have just been running away
from things. I had to deal with it. I had to.
And now I'm over it.
Oh.
You ride with a guy all day,
every shift, for how long?
- And you get over that in a couple weeks?
- No.
I'm never gonna be over
What happened to him.
But I'm getting beyond it.
You know? Anger, denial, acceptance.
Two of the three get you nothing.
You have to accept things. I accept things.
If you want me to spend some more time
With Joey, give you some time to....
Thank you. But I think I surprised myself.
You know, how good I'm doing.
[TEA KETTLE WHISTLING]
I'll get that.
They're just caffeine pills.
- Empty boxes is what they are.
- Well, I've been having trouble sleeping.
They're just something to help me
keep going during the day.
How long
you been having trouble sleeping?
Jimmy, it's nothing.
Really. I'm good.
I appreciate your worry. But you know,
save it for someone who needs it.
CARLOS:
I don't believe it.
Why do these things
always happen to me?
I try to do good,
and all I get for my trying is bit in the ass.
Compassion.
Like I don't care about people.
Why do people always treat me
like I'm self-centered?
BOSCO:
Hey.
- You hear what I'm saying?
- Yeah. Yeah, you were saying....
I was saying, don't feel so bad.
I think that little thing
you wrote was good.
I think it's just Lewis
is just one tough SOB, you know?
You know, it's messed up.
I do my job. I do it good.
None of that seems to matter
because some doctor's worried...
...how I don't give out hugs and lollipops
With every damn arrest.
- How you doing, Carlos?
- Yokas.
FAITH:
You almost ready?
I'm eating. Can I finish eating?
Yeah, you can finish eating.
Then we'll start our shift.
And the first thing you'll wanna do
is go get a sandwich.
I'm storing calories. No need to get an
appetite when I'm trying to outrun the yos.
- What were you guys talking about?
- Compassion.
So that was a pretty short conversation,
huh?
Nobody thinks I got feelings.
Bosco, that's not fair. You have feelings.
You just have them buried somewhere
in a shallow grave in Jersey.
Hey, no jokes.
Carlos here's job's on the line.
Sensitivity's not something
I learned in foster care.
Only thing I learned about compassion
Was from my old man:
"Hit a woman in the gut, not the face.
It don't show."
And I learned that a good drunk
is a quiet drunk...
...because they don't
Wake up the neighbors.
- Where did you learn to be decent?
- Excuse me?
- Where did you learn to be decent?
FAITH: Learned?
That's an odd way of putting it,
don't you think?
I mean, isn't it just something
that you know?
I don't know. You tell me.
I wanna know, to you,
What is compassion?
It's caring about other people.
- Is that why you're here?
- I'm here because it's my job.
So it's your job
You don't care about people?
Of course I care about people. It's both.
All right, guy. You hold on.
Half hour, you're gonna laugh about this
With your buddies.
But, I mean, you wanted to play baseball.
- Would you be playing ball if you could?
- Yeah, I would if I could.
It's not that you're compassionate. You're
just here because you screwed up in life.
[WHIRRING]
ALEX:
What kind of question is that? What is--?
Compassion, to you.
Why did you wanna become
a fire, um, person?
Uh.... My dad made me do it.
[CHUCKLES]
- That's funny?
- Not if it's not supposed to be.
Let me explain something to you
about my dad. He bleeds red.
- Doesn't everybody?
- Fire red.
He's one of those old-school guys.
You know, everyone in the neighborhood
Was a fireman.
Always wanted to be a fireman.
Became one right out of school,
been one his whole life.
When he had a kid,
he was gonna be a fireman too.
He was gonna be one too?
- What's my first name?
- Alex.
You know what that's short for? "Alex
is what I'm calling Whatever kid I have.
I want a boy.
I'm not dealing with anything else."
So, whatever kid he was gonna have,
Was gonna join FDNY, too, right?
Hell, no. My dad didn't think
I could hack FDNY.
Used to have buddies over,
play poker, drink beer.
He'd point at me and go,
"Look at my little girl.
Only fire she'll ever put out
is if she burns a pot roast."
- One of us was wrong about things.
- So you're doing this to show your dad up.
- Where's compassion come in?
- I got a lot of compassion.
If there's a building on fire,
and someone caught...
...it's like I go into a zone.
I mean, it's my job to get to that person,
and I don't worry about flashover...
...or collapse or sucking smoke.
That's not compassion.
That's being an adrenaline junkie.
Labels are so misleading.
Like how they call rocky road,
"rocky road."
Really, it's just some almonds
and a couple chunks of chocolate in it.
- There's marshmallows too.
- Exactly.
[HORN HONKS]
- What section are you reading?
- Metro.
- Article?
- Yeah.
- What about?
- Stuff.
Is that what you normally do?
You read the Metro section first?
- What?
- What?
What?
- What?
- What are you doing?
I'm trying to have a conversation.
What are you doing?
Metro, article, stuff.
It's like talking to a parrot.
Every time I say
more than three words to you...
...you squirm around
like you're sitting through an opera.
I decided to do myself a favor and just cut
to the chase. Metro, article, stuff.
- What else do you need to know?
- Am I that bad?
Most times, yes. Sometimes worse.
That's why I'm trying to talk.
I don't have good people skills.
You know that. So I, m trying to learn
how to relate better, how to care more.
Look, I want you to teach me.
[CHUCKLES]
What do you mean?
Teach you how to care about people?
This is not funny to me.
To me, this is serious.
You're the one that's gotta evaluate me.
Instead of making fun, why don't you help?
You just used the word "me"
five times in four seconds.
I'm not sure, but I think
the Guinness people owe you a plaque.
I'm asking you for help.
Every time some yahoo's
got some stupid problem...
...you can't wait to jump in and do good.
You can't do the same
When I need help?
One of your issues might be...
...that you think of other people's problems
as stupid.
- And you call them yahoos.
- Are you gonna help me?
[SIGHS]
Okay.
[CHUCKLES]
I work with this volunteer group,
Urban Rebuilders.
Now, every Saturday, we clean out
abandoned tenements the city owns...
...and we rebuild them
into low-income housing.
Now, it's a lot of hard work...
...but if you really wanna learn
about helping people....
I'm down for that.
You have to be there
at the location at 6.
- In the morning?
- Yeah.
So I have to get up at, like, 5
on a Saturday...
...to go tear down
some stupid apartments?
- See?
- Okay, okay. The apartments aren't stupid.
But you gotta admit,
getting up at 5 on a Saturday is nuts.
Well, I get up at 4.
You done with the paper?
MAN:
Good arm.
Yeah, I love coming down here,
throwing toilets out windows...
...tearing up floors.
It's a good way to get aggression out.
How many people get to use
destructive force for positive change?
As far as I know,
just members of the Justice League.
[MEN YELLING]
If you wanna use destructive force...
...We need to strip down the rotted wood
off these walls, so--
Who's yelling?
A homeless guy trying to make off
With that toilet you just threw out.
One of our volunteers
just got in a fight with him.
Who in the hell fights
over a busted toilet?
- Put it down!
- I found it!
You found it.
It's not yours, so put it down.
DOC: Carlos?
- Don't make me snatch that.
- I got friends that are cops.
- What are you doing?
- Protecting our property.
- We're throwing it away.
From a building that we're cleaning out.
It's our jurisdiction.
We don't want it.
Well, he doesn't need it.
What's a homeless guy need a toilet for?
- And what do you need it for?
- It's not about need.
You can't let people take things.
There's gotta be a procedure. Otherwise--
Otherwise, homeless people will be
picking up busted toilets left and right.
And anarchy reigns. Take the toilet.
- No, Doc.
- Take it and go.
What is the matter with you?
You come here because you wanna learn
about being compassionate.
What do you do? You complain
about getting up early, pick fights...
...and you hit on female volunteers.
One girl! And she was hot!
You know what?
I'm not gonna waste my day with you...
...because I'm really starting to think
that you're beyond help.
I'm starting to think I'm beyond help too.
Carlos, it's not magic.
And it's nothing special.
And it's not about you.
You wanna be compassionate?
Put yourself second, if at all.
Why don't you just start living your life
that way? The rest will take care of itself.
It's another dollar-eighty.
I think I'm a little short.
- I don't have my cards.
- You gonna buy or what?
CARLOS: wait a second.
I should do something here.
But what?
Think, Carlos.
What would Doc do?
He'd be nice.
Okay, how do you be nice?
Oh! Damn you, brain.
Hey, here you go.
Are you sure?
Um....
Yeah.
- I appreciate it. Thanks.
- Don't worry about it.
Shoot.
Wait. Hold it! Hold it!
- Thank you so much.
- Don't worry about it.
Hey.
- That's nice of you.
- Hey, don't you worry about it.
- So how you doing?
- Good.
- Things are good?
- They're fine.
You know, usually when somebody asks
how you're doing...
...the thing to do is ask them
how they're doing back.
- How are you doing, Carlos?
- I'm doing great.
You know what I've been into lately?
Being nice.
- Nice?
- Yeah.
Like, helping people out,
and listening to them When they're talking.
Yeah. Now I know why you do it
all the time. It feels good.
It feels really good.
This is the way people who go to church
must feel.
I heard it's similar, yeah.
DISPATCHER: Adam 553. Unknown medical,
2343 West End. Three-Charlie.
2343 West End. Three-Charlie.
All right. Let's go help some people.
[SIREN WAILING]
Look, kids.
Yeah.
WOMAN:
I told him not to do it.
- I told him he didn't have to fix it.
CARLOS: what happened?
We live alone. He doesn't want me
to spend the money.
- He tries to do things himself.
- What happened?
He was trying to fix the light. And then
there was this noise, and then a pop.
Okay, he's not breathing.
Give me the quick looks.
- You need to get back.
- Please.
You have to be all right.
I can't lose you too.
- I need to get in there.
- Rapid faint pulse. I need to get his rhythm.
- Please.
- It was just a bit of money.
- I would have spent it on an electrician.
- Please.
Ma'am, shut up!
Shut up and get away from him.
Do you wanna kill him?
Sit down and stay out of the way!
Carlos, leave her alone,
and get over here and help me.
- Just stay out of our way. You got it?
DOC: Carlos!
[MONITOR BEEPING RAPIDLY]
CARLOS: All right.
- Looks like SVT with block.
It's V-tach, man. I'm gonna cardiovert.
No. Let's try Adenosine-6 first
and see what happens.
With a thready pulse at 220?
Forget it. He's gonna code.
I just read a review in the Annals.
Trust me.
Okay. Okay, do it.
Clear.
[CONTINUOUS TONE]
Come on.
Come on.
[BEEPING STEADILY]
[SIGHS]
DOC:
Good call back there. Good instinct.
- You gonna put that in my evaluation?
- Yes.
CARLOS:
What else are you gonna put in?
DOC:
The truth.
I had to get her out of the way.
We had to do our work.
It's not about what you did.
It's about how you did it.
LEWIS:
Mr. Nieto?
Mr. Nieto?
Is there anything you'd like to say?
There is nothing to say.
It's all in the evaluation, right?
Yes, it is.
Then I guess I'm just wasting your time.
And that's not real compassionate, is it?
No time is wasted
that makes us better people.
That's a matter of opinion.
What is better?
I saved a guy's life.
And you should be proud of it.
But that's not what these sessions
are about.
What are they about?
Singing songs and holding hands?
Is that what's important?
Because you know what,
I talked around.
And, yeah, there are a whole bunch
of people in the EMS...
...Who are full of compassion.
Lucky them.
I never had a family to teach it to me.
I never learned it when I was getting
bumped around in foster care.
But unlike most, I'm here
because I want to be here.
Not because it's my second choice.
Or the only thing that worked out.
I'm here because I want to be
the best paramedic that I can be...
...so I can become the best doctor
that I can be.
So, no. I don't know thing one
about compassion.
But I've got passion for what I do.
Ask every person I've ever treated
Who's still walking because of that.
Which is more important?
That I was soft-hearted...
...or that I was good at my job?
BOSCO:
Nieto.
Hey, Carlos. Hold up, man. Hold up.
That was....
You were great in there, man.
You're right. Holding hands is one thing.
Doing our job is completely different.
What you said
about never having a family--
You believe that crap?
Come on, man.
I was just shining him on to get a pass.
You're the one that said it.
Tell him what he wants to hear.
Where did the truth ever get you?
[LAUGHS]
Yeah, it's a bunch of bull.
I didn't buy it for a minute.
- See you later.
- All right.