Stay with me. I'm tracing your call.
What's going on? Are you injured?
- She's coming back. - Who's coming back?
She said I can't talk her out of it.
We're gonna get through this, okay?
Can you tell me your name?
Maddie. My name's Maddie han.
I'm sorry, could you repeat that?
We talked on the phone, remember?
You were supposed to save those girls.
- Hello? - God.
She's here. She's gonna kill me.
God. Don't!
Stop!
Just give me one more chance.
Okay, so, we're gonna keep real quiet.
Do you remember why?
'Cause mama is still sleeping.
- That's right, mama's... - Hi. - Mama!
- Hi. - Mama's awake.
Aw.
Can I have a waffle?
Why don't you go get dressed first?
Get out of here, you little rug rat.
- Morning. - Morning.
- I thought I'd get a jump. - Yeah,
and with both feet.
Looks like you're going to work.
I am.
Today?
Yeah. I mean, s-sue said
that I could come back any time that I wanted.
Yeah, I think she meant take longer if you want.
Okay. Remember when I said
that I would be open about my mental health?
Yeah.
I have been having night terrors.
What are they about?
Work.
So, you're having night terrors about work
and you want to go back to work?
It's just, in every dream, I'm trying to help a caller.
And then... my neck starts bleeding again.
- How often is that happening? - Every night.
- I'm so sorry, Maddie. - No, I think that
the dreams are trying to tell me something.
That you nearly died five weeks ago?
No, that it's been five weeks
since I got to do my job.
That's not very long, Maddie.
Okay, but thousands of people every day
are calling 911, and...
You know, because of that... monster,
I am not there to answer the call.
Braeburn?
Feel like she's still calling the shots?
I know that she's gone,
but she's still in my head,
and the faster that I can get rid of her, the better.
Do you think that I've lost my mind?
No.
I think you're brave and great at your work,
and you're just terrible at taking a day off.
I support whatever helps you
move past what she did to you.
I'm gonna make us proud.
Already am.
Can I help you?
Looking for captain morales.
You must be the guy from Hollywood.
More like El Segundo, but yeah. Eddie.
Martinez.
Cap's office is that one.
He said to head on up.
All right, thanks.
- Nervous? - What?
No, sir. Yeah... A little.
Well, don't be.
I just got off the horn with your former captain.
Couldn't have been more glowing.
- Captain morales. - Edmundo Diaz.
Eddie.
When'd you get to town?
Just about three weeks ago.
And how are you finding Texas?
Like home. I grew up here, actually.
Forgot how hot it can get, though.
That's why we have air conditioning.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to that.
Escrow just closed on my place, so...
It's not exactly turnkey.
I'm fixing it up.
Well, I suspect you're handy.
You're an exceptional candidate with
maybe the most stellar reference I ever checked.
Your captain Nash loves you so much he said
you'll always have a job waiting for you back at the 118.
Well, that's good news.
Or is it?
I recruited a lieutenant last spring out of galveston.
Passed over local talent,
poured resources into this fella.
Four months in, bailed on me.
His wife took a job in St. Louis,
he went with her.
You don't have to worry about that with me, sir.
I'm single. I came back here for my son.
He's 14. Special needs, has cerebral palsy.
He's living with my parents right now.
But, you know, once I get my place fixed up,
hopefully, he can live with me again.
I see.
With all due respect... I need this job, sir.
I have no plan b.
I give you my word,
if you hire me, you will never regret it.
Well
how the hell could anybody say no to that?
Take a look around.
I'll be in touch.
I'm really glad you're here.
And if you need a break, you know where to go.
Yeah, the break room. I am okay, sue.
- Hey, you. - Hi.
How you holding up?
Just ready for a dose of normalcy.
Then you've definitely come to the wrong place.
They found a squirrel's nest in the drop ceiling.
And that salad shop around the corner
like, four of us caught listeria there.
I love that place.
I still go. I'm an arugula man
and I will not be intimidated.
Maddie. There's no pressure here.
And there's no shame in resting at home.
This is where I want to be.
It'll fit the same.
I know.
If my last call was from a serial killer,
I'd be nervous to answer that phone again, too.
It's just first day back jitters.
Maddie,
that sicko thought she could take you down
but she couldn't, 'cause there's not a person
on this planet who can do this job like you.
Trust me, we've spent the last few weeks trying.
No pressure, though.
You're the queen of the pressure cooker.
Go get 'em, Maddie.
Thanks.
Okay, I can help you. Is the door locked?
I don't know, but the living room
is full of smoke and my dad won't wake up.
What's your name?
- Chance. - Chance, I'm Maddie.
How old are you?
- Nine and a half. - Do you know your address?
No, it's my dad's new apartment.
He just moved here for his job.
Where does your dad work?
Across the street.
- He writes for L.A. city news. - That helps me
a lot, chance. Is your apartment
- in a tall building? - Yeah, really tall.
Okay, hang on one sec.
Sue, I've got a potential structure fire
in a high-rise on Wilshire.
- You okay? - Yeah, yeah.
There's a nine-year-old kid and his dad trapped.
If it's real, it's big.
It's real. Lisa just took a call from the seventh floor.
A man was cooking popcorn and started a grease fire.
It's always popcorn.
We're gonna need search and rescue for this kid.
Well, fd's en route.
Do you have an apartment number?
Chance, do you know
your dad's apartment number or maybe what floor you're on?
I don't know. High up.
You think above the seventh floor?
- I think so. - Above the 12th floor?
I don't know. Maybe?
118, I'm showing you arriving at 8340 Wilshire.
Lafd. Step back, step back.
118 has landed.
Okay, we need search and rescue
for a nine-year-old named chance and his dad.
Doesn't know the apartment number,
likely above the fire floor.
Okay, copy that.
Buck, Ravi, head inside. Hen, chim,
start setting up the triage for these folks.
- Copy that. - Copy that.
Everybody else, inch and three-quarter lines
on the fire floor. Let's go!
Hey, lafd!
Lafd! Can you hear us?
Cap, we just landed on eight.
Any signs of life?
Not yet.
All right, keep looking.
Maddie, can you tell if this kid has a visual on us?
Chance,
if you look out the window, do you see fire trucks?
Yeah.
Three of them.
It's really hard to breathe.
Can you open the window?
Just a little.
We'll take it. You're in a bedroom, right?
Is there a bed?
My dad's bed.
He's in it right now.
Okay, you think you can pull a sheet off the bed,
- or a blanket? - Maybe a blanket.
Let me know when you've got it.
Bobby, he can see your rigs. I'm gonna have him wave a blanket
out the window any second.
Okay, I will look for it.
Chance, you there?
I got a blanket. Now what?
Are you there?
- Maddie? - Chance!
- Hello? - Dispatch,
there's no sign of any blanket.
- Okay, something's wrong. - What do I do?
Sue, I'm taking over Maddie's call.
Hey pal, I'm Josh. I work with Maddie.
What happened to Maddie?
She had to step away, but she wants you
to hang the blanket out the window
so the firefighters can see you, okay?
Okay.
Okay, Josh, I see it.
All right, buck, I want you
- to go to floor number ten. - We got it!
Ravi, double time!
Middle unit, out the side.
Lafd!
That one!
I need you to scream as loud as you can, okay?
I'll try.
Help.
I don't think they're here.
Help.
Hey, Ravi, clear!
All right, you find that bedroom.
Dispatch, we're inside.
Ravi, the dad.
Hey, hey, hey, buddy.
Hey, we're gonna get you out of here, okay?
- Please, help my dad. - Yeah, we got him.
Yeah, we've got him. Come with us.
It's okay, Maddie. He's safe.
Tell me what's wrong.
Is it your heart? Chest pains?
What?
I can't speak.
And the captain seems pretty cool,
even if he does decorate,
you know, with some dead animals.
- Really? - Yeah, he literally has
this, like, stuffed rattlesnake
- in his office. - That's disgusting.
- Awesome. - So, when do you start?
Ooh. I don't know.
I'm still waiting to hear back, but I hope so soon.
So proud of you.
Edmundo, this came from Amazon prime
about an hour ago.
It's addressed to you.
Actually, it's his.
That got here fast.
What is it?
Just a little piece of joy.
A ps5?
Whoa!
Eddie, honey, you've already gone through
most of your savings with the house.
It's okay.
The new job comes with a signing bonus.
I know, honey, but you haven't signed yet.
Relax. It's just a formality.
This is so cool. Thanks, dad.
Okay, the real question is
do we set it up here or do we set it up at my place?
I don't know.
Well, you know, it might-might be hard playing video games
with a leak dripping on your head.
No, I patched that.
What about the ac?
I'm still getting to it, but
okay, well, he-he runs hot,
you know? Especially at night.
Yeah.
Maybe we just keep it here.
- Sure, Chris. - Yeah, whatever you want.
Do you have homework tonight, sweetie?
No, just a little math.
You don't need to buy his love, Eddie.
You already have that.
I know.
Just wish he was glad I was here.
Well, I heard him bragging to his friends the other day.
"My dad the firefighter."
- Really? - Yeah, he said you have
the coolest job of any of the dads.
Thanks for telling me that.
Means a lot.
Give him time, Eddie.
He'll come around.
You did.
So this is Maddie's neck ct.
You can see the pharynx, the larynx.
- Her voice box. - Right,
which seems to have stopped functioning entirely.
I'm just a paramedic, but it looks normal to me.
Because it is.
You'll see scarring right here
healing beautifully, by the way,
but nothing that would impact
the vocal cords or the nerves.
So why can't I talk?
That's the million-dollar question.
I don't think it's related to your injury.
My thyroid?
I'm sorry?
Her thyroid.
She suffered from postpartum thyroiditis
after our daughter,
and she's pregnant with our new baby.
Can't hormones affect your voice?
They can,
but Maddie's blood panel came back normal.
This is definitely not normal.
No, but it is a recognized condition.
Psychogenic aphonia.
Loss of voice from emotional or psychological
psychological?
You're saying this could all be in her head.
I think it's a trauma response
triggered by something specific.
Maddie's a 911 dispatcher
and she lost her voice on a call.
Doesn't seem traumatic, given your line of work.
Yeah.
The last time
she answered that phone, the person on the other end
kidnapped her and cut her throat.
That would qualify.
She took my voice.
No, she didn't.
We're gonna get your voice back, honey.
- My voice is everything. - I really suggest
vocal rest right now, rest in general.
And of course, therapy. Speech therapy and otherwise.
I'm gonna write down a website
with some vocal lessons you can try.
Keep in mind this is treating the symptoms,
not the root.
But with consistency, you may regain your voice
in a few weeks' time.
Whoa, a few-a few weeks? How long can this last?
Sometimes aphonia resolves quickly.
Sometimes it takes years. Sometimes...
What, never?
As I said, this is psychological.
Ultimately, the moment of recovery
has to be determined by the patient.
This is Eddie.
Eddie. Jim morales with the 270.
Captain.
Did I catch you at a good time?
It's always a good time to talk, captain.
Hope you have some news for me.
I do.
But I'll warn you, it's a bit of a curve ball.
- A curve ball? - More like a fastball
straight to the gut.
Wait, so you didn't get the job?
He said as much as he wanted to make me an offer to me,
department's in the middle of a hiring freeze.
Why the hell didn't he mention that before the interview?
I think things froze up after we talked.
So, how long until they thaw?
Could be anywhere from two months to a year.
A year?
Yeah.
I spent every penny to my name
on the down payment for this house.
I can't go six weeks,
much less six months without a paycheck.
So, what are you gonna do?
Bobby told this captain
I'd always have a job at the 118.
Think that's true or was he just saying that?
You're thinking of coming back?
Don't worry, you're not getting kicked out of the house.
I may need your couch, though.
But what about Christopher?
I need to support him.
At least when I was there, I could send them some money
and be a firefighter,
which is the only thing I know he's proud of me for.
Hey, come on, that-that's not true.
Man.
I just can't bear the thought of seeing his face
when he finds out I failed.
You didn't fail, Eddie.
I didn't come out here to be an Uber driver, buck.
Or-or a firefighter.
You went out there to be Christopher's dad.
You can't come back.
What am I gonna do, buck?
Hey, Eddie, I got to go.
Yeah, no. Go, go.
I'll, I'll call you later.
Bye, bye, bye, b... yeah, I'll talk to you
later.
Deputy public defender Rose Bennett
for Mr. Oswald Smith.
And where is Mr. Smith?
He should be logging in momentarily.
I believe he was having connection issues.
Hello? Hel... hello, can you hear me?
We can hear you, Mr. Smith, but we can't see you.
Wait, sorry. Hold on.
Just one moment. Just... a moment.
Let's get on with it.
Mr. Smith, I see that you were cited for
driving with a suspended license.
Your honor, my client is requesting
that charge be reduced from a misdemeanor
to an infraction.
- On what grounds? - Moral standing.
There we go. Yeah. How do I look?
Mr. Smith, are you... driving?
What? The reception in this garage is trash.
Just doing the work thang.
Explain something to me.
This man was charged with driving without a valid license.
That's correct, your honor.
But he is currently driving.
Yes, your honor. One could say that he's driving.
I'm not saying it. Clearly, he's driving.
My bad.
okay, Mr. Smith, the...
The court suspended your license
for many, many unpaid tickets.
I contested those, so...
And now you are choosing to do this.
I'm baffled, frankly.
Your honor, my client's livelihood
depends on his mobility.
Yeah. Come on, man.
I don't drive, I lose my career.
Which is, pizza delivery?
Yeah. So, what, you want me to sling pies on a bike?
You won't need to.
I'm revoking your bail.
Mr. Smith, you will report to the Los Angeles county jail
by 5:00 this afternoon.
- Damn. - You will report... damn!
Mr. Smith?
Sir, which floor of the garage are you on?
Well, that's a good question.
Definitely high, high-high up.
Someone's garlic knots are gonna be late.
Ooh, long way down, cap.
Rescue cushion?
No, it's not rated
for a four-door sedan. We need to get up there
and secure that car.
Buck, chim, harness up, fast.
Copy that, 30 minutes or less.
Bryce's slices. Love that place.
All right, hen, Ravi,
- how much longer? - Almost there, cap.
Sir?
Captain Bobby Nash. Lafd. How you doing?
Ozzie, sir.
How high am I?
You're about 120 feet up, but we're gonna get you
out of there, okay? You just I need to sit tight.
Sit tight, got it.
- Yeah, sit tight. - All right.
Sit tight.
All right, axle's on secure, cap.
So's the anchor.
Rigged and ready, cap.
Hey, ozzie, looks like quite the collision.
Did you hit your head at all?
- No, no, - I hit the gas. - Hey, do me a favor,
can you wiggle your fingers and toes for me?
- How's that? - Yeah, perfect.
Looks like it's your door that won't budge.
All right, let's try
- the passenger side. - Yeah.
Open sesame.
It's breezy up here.
Okay, ozzie.
Now we have an exit. I need you to
unbuckle your seat belt and slide on over to me.
Slide? No, the... the guy said sit tight.
- What happened to sit tight? - He-he did,
and you did a great job.
Now it's just one big step back to solid ground.
I have a heights thing. There's a name for it.
Yeah, it's acrophobia.
I got acrophobia.
Well, I'm gonna put this capture strap on you.
It's completely safe.
No way.
Cap, car's moving.
The rope's on tight.
Yeah, but that axle is not.
Buck, we need to get him out of there.
The rear suspension is compromised. Must have hit
a lot of potholes on that pizza route.
Okay, ozzie, you heard him. Time to go.
You know what?
Leave me.
Not really how this works.
No, it's...
It's cool, man. I deserve it, you know?
For a car accident?
I-I weasel out of everything.
Some speeding tickets, my marriage.
It's time to face the music, right?
Okay, listen, ozzie, it's just one step, man.
No, it's fate.
Weasel's going down with the ship.
Cap, I'm just gonna grab him.
Do not enter that vehicle, buck.
We cannot put any more stress on that axle.
Well, he won't come to me,
so what do you want to do?
Weasel our way out.
Hey, ozzie, looks like
you're about a 32 inch waist, right?
Y-Yeah.
Pop goes the weasel.
Come on. We got you, buddy. There you go.
Thank you, man. Thank you.
Sir,
you should let us check you out at presbyterian.
Why? I feel incredible.
Just protocol.
There's something I have to do real quick.
Excuse me. Hi. I'm ozzie.
Can I help you, ozzie?
No, I've been helped.
That's my car up there.
- You're oswald Smith. - Yeah.
I figured you might be looking for me.
- Get back, get back! - Are you okay?
Really? There?
Tell me you have insurance.
There you go.
You know, you are the Mike Tyson of coughing,
and I'm talking pre-face-tattoo Tyson.
All right, next exercise, tongue trills.
What does "glissando" mean?
Right.
Okay.
Maestro, repeat after me.
No problem, let's try it again.
You know what, you're doing great.
It's like the doc said, you just have to get
those first words out, then the dam's gonna burst.
It's getting worse.
Okay, let's just try something else.
Let's see, what do we got?
Ooh, how about blowing bubbles through a straw?
You're right.
Let's take a break.
"What about my job?"
You're gonna get back in that chair, Maddie.
Listen.
What about the therapist that Dr. Turner recommended?
I mean, you did that exposure therapy with Doug, why not now?
Maddie, braeburn cannot beat you.
She cannot take your job or your voice.
'Cause she's gone.
"How do you kill a monster that's already dead?"
This isn't fair.
6.2-liter engine, brand-new off-road tires.
2019, but she drives like new.
I change the oil myself.
Full synthetic every 5,000 miles.
Handwash only, you see the paint.
She's a beauty.
And-and you want to trade her in?
- Sure do. - For that.
I mean, it's not even the same blue book value.
I need a car with better gas mileage.
Even though maybe it's not quite as sexy.
Y-You sure about this, sir?
I mean, this ain't California.
There's no cancel law if you
get home and decide you changed your mind.
It'll be an adjustment.
But it's for a good cause.
All right, I'll get the paperwork.
Take your time.
All right, let's do this, buddy.
Here we go.
Edmundo?
Yes, sir.
You can call me Eddie, though.
- County courthouse, right? - That's right.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
- my client... - you're a lawyer?
You're a lawyer?
- Yeah. - Cool.
He's the real victim in this case
high pressure job, right?
- I know what that's like. - Sorry, what?
I'm not usually a driver.
Today's my first day, in fact.
Cool.
Just let me know if you guys need anything.
Air good?
- Yeah. - You sure you guys aren't too hot?
Forgot how hot Texas could be.
Put some mints back there if you need 'em.
Mints.
Yeah, no, I'm good on the mints.
- Thanks. - My son loves 'em.
Especially the sour cherry ones.
Anyway, I was a firefighter by trade.
And I was in the army before that.
No kidding.
Listen, you really don't have to rush.
It's okay if we're a little late.
Nonsense. I'll get you there with time to spare.
I'm just not great with speed.
You don't need speed when you know the short cuts.
It honestly makes me sick,
how some slimebag lawyers work the system.
Not you, of course.
Right, of course.
These...
And I'll throw an air freshener in there, too.
Care to donate?
I wish.
I'm a little strapped.
So how's the new job going?
Good.
Just, getting my sea legs.
Yeah, but it's getting better.
Son of a
well, it can't be that different than being
a firefighter in L.A., can it?
No, just some minor adjustments.
You got this, dad.
Thanks, bud.
You think you guys could cover the chess coach this week?
I'm still waiting for payroll to get their heads together.
Of course.
Hey guys, I'm gonna need you to keep it pg.
Are you staring at us?
Yeah, because I've scrubbed up enough stains off that seat
- for one day. - Just let us out right here.
- It's not your stop. - We'll walk.
We're here.
Idiot.
Zero tip?
Ouch.
Tell you the truth, it's been painful.
No tip. Shocker.
Las cruces? That's like... 50 miles away.
Ride cancelled?
You got to be kidding me.
Your son wants to get burgers after school
with his friends, but...
We don't know if they're ready to go by themselves.
I'm ready.
What do you think, dad?
Dad?
I don't think I've ever been this drained.
Not just physically, but... emotionally.
Okay, can I give you some advice?
- Sure. - Shut up.
Just shut the hell up.
You're the driver.
Nobody cares about your opinions or your problems.
It's not about you, dude.
Is that so?
You're doing it all wrong.
And you would know this because?
Driving the apps got me through undergrad.
You want to make bank?
Stop talking, make yourself invisible
and read the room.
Evening.
Thank you.
God, do I really have to give a speech at this thing?
You're the guest of honor.
Claro que you have to give a speech.
Did you remember to bring it?
Right here.
I'm so nervous I'm sweating.
You'll do fine, amor.
Thank you, dear.
Keep my mouth shut. What else?
Rookie mistake, drinking coffee.
You'll spend half your earning hours
looking for a place to pee.
So what's better?
Chaos.
I'll take one of those.
Here you go.
Donate?
Not tonight, thanks.
That's magic.
No, no, no.
Magic is surge pricing.
Instead of chasing fares all night who cancel on you,
work a few high-traffic events like ball games.
Triple the pay, half the time.
I like the sound of that.
And they always tip more if you're rooting for their team.
Let's go, miners!
It's going down tonight, boys.
Gig 'em, aggies!
Okay, guys, we're here.
Fancy.
No...
Excuse me, sir, sorry, you forgot your phone.
- You're a lifesaver. - You guys have a good night.
- Thank you. - Thanks.
Yeah.
Yes!
And this is for the chess coach.
You don't have to do that.
Yes, I do.
And this is for Chris.
Lock and load, buddy.
Black ops six? No way.
I guess payroll figured it out?
I guess you could say that.
And these three.
There you go.
Duty calls.
All right.
- See you later. - See you.
Ezra?
- Yep. - 1406 canyon?
- Yeah. - All right.
Just one sec. My friend's getting in.
No worries.
There's plenty of water and candy in the
- hi. - Hi... Sir.
Okay, man, we're good.
I said we're good.
- You can go now. - Yeah, right on.
Wow. So, neither of you
so much as acknowledged the other one's existence?
I mean, we said hi, but we let on
- like we didn't know each other. - Okay.
So, how did Christopher look?
Shocked.
Yeah, with a hint of disappointment and pity.
- Ouch. - Yeah.
I know I should have told him the truth.
I just couldn't bring myself
to burst the firefighter bubble.
Well, I would say it's probably burst now.
Thanks for that, buck.
Sorry. Okay,
so, so, what did you say to him after?
Nothing. We haven't spoken yet.
Eddie.
I dropped him off at his friend's place
and we didn't have a chance to debrief.
So his head is probably still spinning.
I think so.
- I know mine is. - You got to call him right now.
I just told you he's hanging out with one of his friends.
He's busy.
So text him. Kids are never too busy to text.
You're right.
I can't believe I did it again.
Got caught in another lie.
Literally my worst nightmare come true.
No, hey, hey. Y-Your worst nightmare
already came true.
Chris left.
This time, at least you have a chance to face the consequences.
- Good luck. - Appreciate you, buck.
Now a good time?
Is the little guy kicking yet?
May was a wild child.
I swear, I thought she was having
a dance party in there every night.
Are you getting enough sleep?
Yeah, chimney told me that's how this all started.
The nightmares.
He's worried about you.
You know, I can't stop thinking about braeburn either.
I missed all the signs.
Baby, Amber braeburn took plenty.
But she didn't take your gift.
Fear did.
Fear of all the things that could go wrong
next time you pick up that phone.
Well, good for you.
I am.
I'm scared every day on the job.
Every time I take a door,
I think about all the times that it went south on me.
Every car I pull over,
I think about all the drivers who met me with a gun.
But then I think about all the people
who need my protection.
And I make myself more afraid for them
than I am for myself.
I have tussled with a ghost, too, Maddie.
I can't undo what the monster did, but that fear?
I can work with that.
Girl, nobody is.
But you are no slouch yourself.
I mean, don't you forget
we took down a serial killer together.
You'll get there when you're ready.
Until then, you know you can text me anytime.
Jee?
J-Jee? Have you seen... No, I Don-i don't...
Jee?
Jee? Jee?
Jee?
Jee!
Mom, I'm over here.
You scared me.
Mom, you can talk.
Yeah.
Yeah, I can.
Hi.
There we go.
Christopher.
Hi.
How'd you get here?
Uber.
Right.
Can you grab this?
Ps5?
So...
Do you want to... Set it up here?
No. I want to return it.
Yeah.
That makes sense.
Look, I get it.
I wouldn't want to keep it after everything I did either.
No, I do want it.
Why don't you keep it?
Because you need to save your money
if you're gonna stick around.
You still want me to?
Yeah. You're my dad.
I'm sorry about lying about being a firefighter.
I...
Was just so embarrassed it fell through, I...
I just... Just wanted you to be proud of me.
I am proud of you.
- Can I hug you? - Yeah.
Okay.
I love you, son.
Love you, too, dad.
911. What's your emergency?