Episode 1

Chicago - Illinois

The fire spread rapidly through the environment, the heat had already become unbearable, and smoke had taken over the place. River North firefighters were desperately trying to control the flames, while the lieutenant checked if there was anyone left behind.

"Lieutenant, get out of there now. There is a gas cylinder in there, that's an order." the second in command spoke through the radio.

"Just one more room, and I'm coming down," he replied breathlessly.

"Damn it, Calvin, don't you listen! You're putting yourself in danger, and your teammates too."

The lieutenant, ignoring the warnings, entered the last room, where the flames danced furiously. To his surprise, an unconscious child was lying on the floor. He ran to her, quickly putting on the spare mask. He lifted the child and began to hurry out of there. As warned, he already knew about the cylinder and knew an explosion was imminent.

As he crossed a hallway, he was hit and, to protect the child from possible injury, he shielded her with his own body, resulting in a cut at the point of impact.

"I have an unconscious child, I need the paramedics to be ready," he shouted into the radio as he made his way.

"The ambulance hasn't arrived yet, Lieutenant. We were informed of a serious accident downtown, which caused a big traffic jam."

Eddie, the second in command, struggled to maintain order outside, making sure the fire was under control and keeping onlookers away.

"Frank, was the lieutenant near you?" Eddie asked, stopping one of the firefighters who was passing by.

"Yes, he was right behind me. He asked me to bring the dog and went back to keep an eye on things. You know him, you know how stubborn he is."

Eddie nodded with a sigh. Calvin had always been like this, driven by a determination that often defied common sense. He looked at the flames, worried about his colleague who was facing the dangers inside the burning building.

"Let's keep the area clear. The ambulance can't be much longer." Eddie ordered the firefighters around him, keeping his eyes fixed on the inferno still raging inside the building.

As Eddie gave the order, an explosion shook one of the upper floors, catching the attention of Eddie, Frank, and the other recruits.

"Calvin, do you read me? What floor are you on? Calvin. Shit!" Eddie cursed, frustrated at getting no response, and went back to giving orders.

Minutes after the explosion, Eddie heard the commotion of the corporation members and ran towards the commotion.

As he approached, he witnessed Calvin emerging from the chaos, holding a child in his arms. Eddie instructed everyone to stay back and, carefully, Calvin placed the child on the floor.

"Come on, breathe," Calvin spoke, starting CPR on the girl.

Calvin alternated between chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, trying to block out the sound of a woman's crying starting to approach, probably the child's mother. He focused on the sound of the siren, indicating that the ambulance was approaching, while he continued the procedures, even with his arm bleeding.

Eddie, knowing his colleague well, said nothing, only stepping aside to assist in fire suppression. Calvin whispered soothing words to the child, urging her to breathe, and expressed relief when she started coughing.

The ambulance finally arrived, and the paramedics took over. Calvin, exhausted, sat down on the floor, trying to control his own breathing. He watched the woman crying, confirming that she was the girl's mother. The scene brought back memories of his own past, but he was snapped out of his thoughts when Frank approached.

"Are you okay? You had everyone worried here." Frank held out his hand to Calvin.

Calvin looked at Frank, gave a slight smile and accepted the help, holding onto the hand he held out.

"I'm fine. If I hadn't gone back, that girl wouldn't have stood a chance. You were worried too, weren't you?" Calvin asked, his expression more relaxed.

Frank stared at him for a few seconds before answering.

"Impossible not to worry about you."

The exchange of glances carried more than words could express. Calvin couldn't hold back his smile, but had to undo it when Eddie approached. Frank, noticing the change in mood, stepped aside, making room for the two. Eddie faced Calvin, noticing his arm still bleeding, and reprimanded him.

"Why don't you ever listen? Do you have any idea what could have happened if you were on that floor? You should set an example, Calvin."

"I had everyone get out, I didn't risk anyone's life but my own. Eddie, we know the risks this profession involves. I followed my instincts, and once again, I was right. If you want to discuss my decision, let's do it at the station, not here. We still have a lot to do."

Albeit reluctantly, Eddie swallowed his complaints and changed the subject.

"What about your arm?" Eddie pointed to Calvin's wound.

"Let's finish up here, then I'll see to it. I'm fine." Calvin affirmed, walking away to check on the situation.

Eddie watched Calvin walk away, anger rising. He questioned Calvin's leadership, finding him too impulsive and resistant to his orders. However, everyone seemed to admire him and see him as an example, despite being so young, but already a lieutenant.

Deciding not to waste any more time dwelling on his frustration, Eddie went back to work. After all, being irritated would only give Calvin more chances to stand out. After some time, they managed to control the fire, all exhausted. Frank, however, drew attention to the situation with Calvin's arm.

"Now that everything is done here, we should go to the hospital and get that arm looked at," he advised, hearing everyone agree.

"I'm sure if I don't go, you guys won't leave me alone, so I'll go to the hospital. Eddie, you take a crew in the second truck, and I'll go with the others to the hospital; some here need attention too."

The order was given, and they split up. Frank ended up staying with Eddie, since he wasn't hurt. The two even exchanged glances before getting into the truck. The vehicle Calvin was in went straight to the hospital, and along the way, he imagined that Frank would be gone by the time he got back.

Loretto Hospital was crazy when they arrived; there had been a major accident on a busy avenue, and several injured people were arriving, further delaying their care. After some waiting time, everyone was seen. As they walked to the exit, the door opened, and nurses came in pushing a stretcher. On top of the patient was a doctor who was doing chest compressions while the stretcher was being pushed.

Seeing that scene made Calvin think of the girl he saved, but it also made him remember his father, because the situation was practically the same. As he looked at the focused doctor, he felt that they both shared the same desire: not to lose any lives during the hard work they were doing.

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