Original subtitles

Dermatomyositis.

Is that as scary as it sounds?

It's an autoimmune disease.

It causes this rash on my hands,

and it attacks muscles

so I'll get tired more easily.

Now, we want to be upfront with you two.

This can get serious.

But we're not gonna let it.

No, we're not.

So, there's a cure?

No,

but there's treatments,

and I've already started medications.

Now, that's the easy part.

For the rest, we're gonna need some help.

Okay?

We're in.

Tell us what you need.

Well, first, there's diet.

No artificial colors, no high-fructose corn syrup,

- no gluten. - No fun.

Avocados are fun. Leafy greens

are fun. We got cashew butter, SunButter,

and your Omega-3s are gonna be off the chart.

Salmon, cod, herring.

Can't you just make me, like, a pumpkin loaf?

Also, exercise is key.

With muscle tone,

you use it or you lose it.

We're gonna maintain your flexibility,

range of motion and balance.

So, you're turning Buck's backyard into a yoga studio?

Not yoga.

Samba.

Samba?

Some patients have a hard time swallowing

and get vocal problems.

- What the hell is that? - It's called

a trill. And I know that it sounds weird,

but it helped me when I lost my voice.

Trilling fixed it?

It didn't hurt.

Dexterity is huge.

Flare-ups make my hands

weak, so I've got to stay nimble.

One, two, three, four...

I declare thumb war.

- Gotcha. - Aw, come on!

We're gonna throw the kitchen sink at this thing.

There's no such thing as a bad idea.

And you got this idea from TikTok?

Apparently, it works wonders for lymphatic drainage.

You first.

This isn't just my fight.

It's the whole family's fight.

- This one right here. - Okay.

Nobody said you couldn't have fun.

You know how this game ends, right?

Back, forward, back.

Ha ha.

Dare I ask what's in it?

Mostly sardines.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

- Back... - One, two,

- three. - Now you're counting?

Slow.

And steady.

Steady is the hard part.

You got it, Hen.

Like a horse.

Mm-mm.

One, two, three.

- Oh! - Whoa! Oh!

Wait till you try this.

Ready to fly?

Like Superman.

The bunny goes over the log,

through the hutch.

Come on, you damn rabbit.

Ooh! Hey!

- Done. - How are those lymphs?

Uh, I think it's working.

Oh!

How do you like me now?

However long it takes,

we're gonna kick this thing's butt.

You got this, Mama.

We've got this.

You hungry, baby?

Not really.

You need any help?

No.

I got it.

I got it.

Hey, what the hell's going on?

Come on.

What's the deal? Let's go!

What is this guy doing?

Ordering Cluck Cluck combos for a small village?

Let's move it!

Yeah, I got it. I got it.

Tell that jackass to move!

Is there a problem here?

Oh, that's why you haven't ordered yet.

Texter!

We've got a texter!

No one's asked for my order yet.

Hello!

Hello?

Is nobody working today?

Where is everybody?

Hell...

Hello?

Oh.

Oh...

My God.

Dispatch, this is Captain 118. We're gonna need

backup RA units.

Copy, 118. En route.

I'm counting eight...

no, 12 people.

Buck, get me readings on oxygen,

carbon monoxide, smoke, everything,

even spilt cleaning products.

And roll everyone on their side. No fingers in mouths

unless you're looking to lose them.

Dispatch, what's our ETA on those RA units?

We really could use some extra hands here.

I have two additional units six minutes out.

No sign of any leaks.

Building's all clear.

So what the hell is this?

Captain 118?

Go for 118.

It looks like there was an earlier call from your location.

911, what's your emergency?

Hi, I'm the manager over at Cluck n Pluck five.

Someone just collapsed.

I think they're having a se...

se...

Call dropped right after that.

Copy that, dispatch.

So, one person had

a seizure, the others

were just witnesses at first.

You thinking what I'm thinking?

Uh, not really.

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures?

They're pseudo seizures

brought on by a traumatic event,

like seeing someone have a seizure.

One person goes down...

- Rest follow. - Okay,

so if only one of them is experiencing it

for real, what about the rest?

They just think they are.

This has been going on for at least

six minutes, which means

we need to find the real

seizure victim before it's too late.

They all look the same to me.

But they all won't look the same with the FLIR.

Okay, this has been going on

for more than six minutes, which means

their muscle starts burning through

their energy before they break down.

The brain's thermoregulation center goes completely haywire.

Whoever is having the real seizure,

with this much physical activity...

clear...

their body temperature should've risen

drastically compared to the other people.

So they'll show up much hotter than everyone else.

Exactly. All right, this side is clear.

Where are you?

Clear.

She's clear.

Okay, got him. Buck, check his wallet

for medical history, maybe a bracelet or a dog tag.

Rapid pulse.

- He's tachycardic. - Yeah, and epileptic.

Mystery solved.

- Starting an IV. - Let's assess

the rest of our friends. Start with arm tests

to confirm it's psychogenic.

Pushing four

milligrams of lorazepam.

Come on, buddy. There we go.

All right. BP stabilizing.

Nice and easy.

Hey, hey.

Hey.

Welcome back, sir.

Buck, how's our test going?

Everyone is passing with flying colors.

Or, I guess, failing.

All right, everybody,

let's try some box breathing exercises with them,

see if that helps.

If not, maybe get them out of each other's

lines of sight.

Well, you don't see that every day, huh?

No, you do not.

Hey, you doing okay, Cap?

Hen would've loved this.

Yeah.

Knees up, Grant.

Eyes up, Norris.

Nepo baby.

Showboat.

Recruits,

you've made it to week twelve,

your Three-Phase Drill.

Phase One: Forced Entry.

Gonna go for the class record?

- Wouldn't hate that. - I would.

Save some for the rest of us.

Phase Two: Advance an inch-and-a-half hose line

into the structure.

You will notice there's no vertical ventilation,

which brings us to Phase Three.

You will climb the aerial and breach the fifth-floor window.

You got it, Grant!

There you go.

Yeah, take that window!

Grant!

Oh. Oh...

Excuse me.

Uh, Harry Grant. Do you know

- which room he's in? - Mom.

- Mm? Mm. - Mom, why is he here?

Uh...

He's okay. Harry's okay.

He was drilling on the tower,

took a spill off the aerial.

- The aerial ladder? - Luckily, a mezzanine

caught him before the ground did.

Could have been a lot worse.

Oh, my God. Oh.

Oh, my God.

- Harry. - Mom.

Mom, I'm fine.

The wheelchair

is protocol. They're discharging me.

He has a mild concussion.

Doctors ruled out anything serious.

I just got my bell rung. That's it.

That's the TBI talking.

Thank you for coming down.

- Of course. - I'm sorry, Chief.

I-I was rushing. It was a stupid mistake.

Well, shake it off, son. Accidents happen.

Hazards come with training, same as on the job.

You know that better than any recruit.

So... he's

- still a recruit? - We'll place him off-duty

IOD for 48 hours. He can rest at home.

Then, if he has no symptoms, he'll be cleared to return.

I'm ready now. Let's go.

Don't worry, you won't lose your spot.

Good news.

Um...

okay, let's get you home.

Ah-ah.

Protocol, remember?

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

- Thank you. - Of course.

No screens.

Doctor's orders.

Mom, I-I feel fine.

Well, let's keep it that way.

Oh, and no salami either.

The last thing your brain needs is inflammation

from cured meats.

So what am I supposed to do?

What your chief said.

Rest.

Mom, it's a concussion, not the flu.

She's treating me like a child.

You are her child.

Yeah, but why is she so chipper about it?

I swear, she's happy I'm injured.

Happy? She's terrified.

It was a bump on the head.

This time.

You didn't see her walking into the hospital.

She was barely holding it together.

Yeah, I know.

She thinks me joining the department is dangerous.

Harry, you just proved it's dangerous.

Ten more inches to the left

and she could've been at another funeral.

Buck,

do not make me write you up

for reheating fish in the microwave.

I know, I know, it's bad workplace etiquette,

but sardine loaf is better when it's warm.

It's even better when you leave it at home.

Listen, it's good for brain

and heart health, and I have tons left over 'cause...

Hen wouldn't see me

when I tried to stop by the other day.

Eh, I'd blame it on the sardine loaf,

but she wouldn't see me, either.

Every time I try and visit, Karen tells me

that she's either sleeping or in the shower.

I usually get "doctor's appointment."

Maybe she just needs some time to herself.

No, isolation doesn't help the healing process.

She needs people to support her.

Maybe we're a reminder that she's not here,

doing what she loves to do.

Might be hard for her to see us right now.

Okay, so what do we do?

Keep showing up.

Athena.

What are you doing here? How's Harry?

Desperate for me to be anywhere

other than hovering over him.

I wasn't sure what was on Hen's diet,

but I was thinking at least you and the kids

could have something easy to reheat and eat.

Excuse the mess.

Things have been a little hectic

around here lately.

So, how is she?

Because she hasn't been returning any of my calls.

Oh. She has good days and bad days.

Which is today?

Hen?

You up for a visitor?

Athena's here.

She...

just wants to check on you.

It might be good for you to see a friendly face.

I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing.

I think...

all this has just really taken it out of her.

Is she really sleeping,

or did she tell you to get rid of me?

She's not telling me much of anything these days.

You know, when we got the diagnosis,

I had hope.

I thought we were gonna fight it together.

But nothing's worked, and she's getting worse.

Every day, it's like I can feel her

slipping farther away from us.

I-I try to keep her active and make sure

she's taking care of herself, but...

the more I push,

- the more she... - Pushes back?

No.

That's the scary part.

She doesn't push back. She just...

disengages.

We just need to get her back in the game.

How?

Do I just keep pushing her

until she's mad enough at me to push back?

No. You're her wife.

You do not want to become the face

of the thing she's fighting.

So...

Well, what am I supposed to do?

Give her another face to hate.

Work on your drills.

- Play it again on Tuesday. - Yeah.

- All right. - Catch you later, brother.

Whoa!

You hit me with your car.

Car versus pedestrian?

That's the question.

Driver says he fell down on his own.

Yeah, don't they always?

He talking?

More groaning than anything.

We didn't want to move him without you.

Why?

- Why did he run me over? - Dude,

- I didn't hit you! - Someone did. He's in rough shape.

Sir, I'm Eddie. Can you tell me your name?

- Colt. - Can you move your fingers and your toes?

- Yeah. - All right, we're gonna

roll you over so we can take

- a better look at you. - Uh-huh.

One, two, three.

Whoa. You got hit hard.

- Not by me. - Did he break my arm?

Arm, nose, probably ribs.

We're gonna get you to the hospital, okay?

- Uh. Mm-hmm. - Hey, look at that.

His shoes are still on.

Yeah.

And not a crack in this windshield, either.

I don't know if this car

- did all that. - It didn't do any of it.

I did not hit him.

All right, you said he came from that way? - He ran

from over there, and then fell in front of my car.

- Hey. - Thank you so much for coming.

Oh, come on. It's my pleasure.

Are you, uh, cool with me putting stuff here?

- Yeah, absolutely. - Um...

All right.

Hello?

Hey.

Babe, who's this?

Uh, you must be Hen.

Hi. I'm, uh... I'm Adam, a physical therapist

and your new chief motivational officer.

- Hi, Adam. - Hi.

My wife must have forgot to mention you were coming.

Slipped my mind.

Adam comes very highly recommended.

Karen...

- Hmm? - Can we talk about this?

Later. I have to go out

- and run a few errands. - Are you serious?

Mmm.

You two have fun.

- Bye. - Bye. -

What do you say we, uh,

wake up those sleepy joints, huh?

So, how you feeling?

Mm.

Like I got hit by a truck.

Well, we both know that didn't happen.

So you want to tell me what really happened?

It's all fuzzy.

I think I...

I got jumped.

You got jumped?

Yeah. From behind.

It was a big dude.

"Big... dude."

Might even have been two of 'em.

Vicious.

Did your assailant look like this?

How long you been snatching purses?

Shame on you.

- Wait for it. - I've had enough!

- Come here. - She's still going.

Yeah, she is.

You're gonna get your ass beat.

You... picked... the wrong one.

Do you want to amend your statement about two big dudes?

I'd like to call my lawyer.

They'll keep him here for observation.

Then straight to Men's Central.

You got a mean left hook.

- Am I in trouble? - Self-defense.

But, uh, most folk would have let go of the purse.

What got into you?

I had had a day.

It's dollars and cents.

Cuts, cuts, layoffs, cuts.

And frankly, the granola bars are doing more

around here than you are.

You're a great gal.

But I've been doing a lot of work on me.

We're done.

Thanks for the coffee.

For the love of...

Sometimes,

you just need to fight back.

Fair enough.

All right, and then push out.

One... Breathe, breathe.

Very good, Hen. Clockwise, counterclockwise.

How's that feeling?

Not good, Adam.

There you go.

Look at you, rock star! There you go.

Breathe, breathe. Want you to breathe.

- Two. - Yeah.

Very good.

Okay, one more.

Very good.

Ah, that was awful.

What are you talking about? That was awesome.

Right? Come on.

- Give me one more set. - You said that was the last set.

Oh, I'm sorry, Hen. I lied.

- Screw you, Adam. - Hen,

it's okay if you want to punch me.

I do not want to punch you, Adam.

You sure? I mean, look at my face. Not even a little bit?

Maybe a little bit.

Morning.

You going back to training today?

Yeah.

It's been two days. Feeling pretty good.

- No signs of a concussion. - I thought you were training

to be a firefighter, not a doctor.

I'm okay. No headaches, no nausea,

no sensitivity to light or noise.

You know it's okay to take another day if you need it.

I mean, just to be on the safe side.

Uh, you want me to call your doctor

and ask him to write a note?

A doctor's note from my mommy?

No thanks. I'll pass.

- Love you. - I love you, too.

Miss me?

I did. You're my favorite person to beat.

Look who got cocky while I was gone.

Okay. Three-Phase Drill. Let's go.

Let's start with the aerial ladder.

Grant, you're up.

Grant, you doing okay?

Uh... no, sir.

I'm-I'm feeling a bit dizzy, I guess.

Okay, well, don't push it. Go home and get some rest.

All right? We'll try again tomorrow.

Hi, honey. You hungry?

I think Karen ordered enough food to feed us for a week.

I think you've forgotten

what it's like to feed a teenager.

Ooh, pickles.

Ah.

Here, honey.

Let me help you with that.

I should be able to open a jar.

You did. You loosened it for me.

Ma, don't patronize me.

I'm not.

I think working with Adam is helping,

even if you won't admit it.

Can I hide out here?

If it's your mom, absolutely not.

No, I'm hiding from my shame.

What happened?

I thought you were back in training.

I was, but I froze up.

When it was time to climb the ladder again, I-I panicked.

That's the whole point in training.

You panic there so it doesn't happen

in the field. Here.

So how do you not panic everywhere?

I don't know. You just don't.

That is completely underwhelming advice.

I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming over.

You get lukewarm pep talks when I'm unprepared.

Look, it's normal to be scared.

What makes it brave is that you show up anyway.

Is it brave,

or is it selfish?

Selfish how?

If something bad happens to me,

what happens to them?

You mean your family.

Your mom.

I-I don't want to be the reason why

she has to plan another funeral.

You can't think like that.

So what do I do if that is all I can think about?

Ah.

- Oh. - Come on in.

Look at you, getting to the door like a champ, huh?

Must be those wrist rolls you gave me.

I, uh... I can't believe I'm saying this,

but thanks to you,

I'm finally making progress.

That's great, Hen.

But remember, progress is not always in a straight line.

I know. I know.

So where you want to start today?

Some sit-to-stands?

Uh, yeah, uh, doesn't matter.

- Oh. - All right. Well, I'll just follow your lead.

I don't think you should do that, Hen.

Oh.

- Adam, are you all right? - No. No.

I'm supposed to be. No.

Whoa!

Adam!

There.

Here.

- LAFD! - Julie.

- Hen. - Oh. Oh.

This is Adam. He's our personal trainer.

He's been down five minutes.

- No pulse, no resps. - Okay.

Get him on the Lifepak, take his blood sugar,

prepare to intubate.

- What was he doing? - He came in.

He went down.

Makes me think cardiac.

Let's shock him.

Clear.

There it is.

- Brugada syndrome. - Something tells me

he's getting an ICD today.

Let's pack him up.

Need a hand?

Yeah. Thanks.

One, two, three.

It's good to see you, Hen.

We're all pulling for you.

Buck?

What are you doing here? Is everything okay?

It's about Harry.

He came to see me after his first day back.

Actually, he didn't even make it through the whole day.

I knew it. It was too soon for him to go back.

Look, I don't think there's anything

- physically wrong with him. - But you're worried enough

to show up here.

Okay, so, you know that voice you get in your head?

Uh, the one that says, "You suck.

You-you can't do anything."

I-I mean, you probably don't have that voice.

Everyone has that voice, Buck. Even me.

Okay? So, what?

You think Harry's gotten into his own head?

No, I-I think you have.

Not that you did it on purpose.

I think the accident and your response to it

scared him, but not for himself.

Scared him for you.

I don't want to see him give up and regret it later.

His office called.

Looks like he's gonna be okay.

Well, that's great news.

I've been a paramedic for 15 years, Ma,

and I couldn't provide that man with basic life support.

My body just wouldn't let me.

If the actual paramedics hadn't gotten here in time...

But they did.

I started out thinking that

I just wanted to get well enough so I could go back to work.

Just get my life back.

What if that part of my life is over?

You have always been the most impatient child.

Ma, you don't understand.

I want to read you something.

Ma, please.

I'm not in the mood for some woo-woo nonsense

you got from some self-help book you found in the garage.

It's not woo-woo.

It's a first-person account

from someone who's been on a similar journey.

Let's see.

"It's been three months, and I'm still not okay.

"How is that possible?

"Everyone says 'Be patient.

"Don't lose hope.' Eventually, I'll feel like myself again.

But I'm starting to think everyone's been lying to me."

Preach.

"Ma says I'm too impatient.

But she just doesn't understand."

Well...

that certainly hasn't changed.

Are you reading from my diary?

Where'd you even find that?

You know those boxes I've been storing

in your garage for the past ten years?

Decided to start going through them while you were napping.

You've been napping a lot.

"Ms. Dawson told me I didn't have to run,

"but I was tired of sitting on the sidelines,

"so I did it anyway.

"Didn't even make it a minute

"before I doubled over trying to catch my breath.

"Jamie Tyler said it was because I had a hole in my heart

"from when I got shot.

"Because that's who I am now:

girl who got shot."

Jamie Tyler.

I never liked that child.

But the girl who wrote that diary?

She was a pretty cool kid.

A tough one, too.

Thanks.

But I think I had a little bit more resilience at 16

than I have now.

You did not.

Your recovery was painful and hard

and longer than expected.

Some days, you couldn't even get out of bed.

But with enough time, eventually,

you got better.

But it was not an easy road.

I guess I forgot that part.

Most people do.

We focus on the big moments.

The victories.

Not the blood, sweat and tears that got us there.

But I remember.

And I know you're still the same fighter.

And if you don't believe me...

believe yourself.

Don't make me take the covers.

What is happening right now?

You're getting dressed and we're going out.

You got 15 minutes.

Don't make me come back in here.

When you said we were going out, I was thinking breakfast.

I got you a smoothie.

I figured you'd want something light

before climbing that ladder.

Look, Mom, I appreciate the pep talk, I really do...

Uh, no, no, no, no. This ain't a pep talk.

You want to run toward danger for a living?

I'm not looking to pep you

- into anything. - Okay. Then what are we doing here?

I want you to quit.

- Excuse me? - I want you to turn around...

and stop growing older.

Go back to being that kid

who would run over to hug me after every shift.

That same kid

who used to beg me not to go to work every morning.

Who'd say, "Mommy..."

"I want you to quit."

And I would kiss your head

and leave, feeling terrible.

And when I got to work,

you know what I would do with that feeling?

What?

I would set it aside.

Family fills us,

it drives us,

but fear makes you hesitate,

and hesitation gets you killed.

We don't put on that uniform so that we make it home.

We put it on so that others will.

And if we do that well enough, without fear

or self-doubt...

then maybe we get to make it home, too.

I guess I didn't think about how hard this would all be.

For me,

but mostly for you. I...

I'm following in the footsteps of a man whose job...

this job... took him away from you.

That was his path.

Just, I don't want you to worry.

You let me worry about what I worry about.

And if and when you put on that uniform,

you learn to set it aside

the same as I did.

Because you can't carry nobody out of a fire

if I'm already on your back.

"Dear me...

"I know I haven't written in months.

"Haven't wanted to.

"When I write, I'm reminded of all the pain and misery

"I went through in the last year,

"and who wants to think about that?

"I was about to give up and never think about it again.

"But then I thought,

"if I... aka you... find it again,

"years from now,

are those dark days really the part I'd want to remember?"

"A terrible thing happened to you, Henrietta Wilson.

"And that could have been the end of your story.

But it wasn't."

"It was the start of a new one."

"The world knocked you down

"and tried to keep you there,

but you refused to stay put."

"Even on the days you really wanted to.

- You gave it your all. - Yes, sir!

Came here as recruits.

- Yes, sir! - And you're leaving

- as firefighters. - Yes, sir!

And I'm proud of each and every one of you.

Who are you?

- Firefighters! - Who are you?

Firefighters!

Who are you?

- House 118! - Yeah!

- Congratulations. - Yeah!

"So, yes...

you'll always be the girl who got shot."

"But you'll always be the girl who lived,

and can do anything she sets her mind to."

Please take your seats.

The ceremony will begin shortly.

Keep moving. We need two more.

There she is.

Just couldn't resist upstaging the kids, huh?

Hey, at least we didn't show up

in the middle of the ceremony.

Well, I wanted to make sure

that everyone saw that I was getting better.

We're just glad you're here.

In this job, I give a lot of speeches.

But of all the many speeches I give,

this is by far my favorite.

It doesn't look back with sorrow or wistful cheer...

but rather, aspires forward...

with boundless hope and abundant pride.

Because it knows what I know:

that you will save lives.

That men and women will walk this Earth

who otherwise wouldn't without you.

That children will be born and deathbeds far delayed

for all your acts of bravery.

And yes, for some...

your sacrifice.

You'll reunite families

and return home to your own.

And with each shift,

you will clock in to another family,

one forged in fire,

with bonds far stronger than any you've ever known.

The lives you save, the worlds you make better...

will not just be the people we serve...

but also each other's.

Congratulations to you all,

and welcome

to the family of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Yeah!

Hey, this is, like,

the welcome party to the rest of your life.

Can you maybe get off your phone?

Sorry, I was checking the station assignments.

They said that they'd post them after the ceremony.

Well, we may have gotten an advance look at that list.

- Are you serious? - All that work we put into

help raise you?

You didn't think we were gonna let that go

to some other firehouse, did you?

You're stuck with us now, kid.

Welcome to the 118, probie.

Come on.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

- Come on in. - Come on...

All right, come on in, guys.

- May, you, too. Come on. - Yeah.

- Aww. Thanks, guys. - Bring it in. Bring it in.

Congratulations, Harry. - Thank you.

All right. "118" on three.

- One, two, three. - 118!