(phone ringing) (radio
broadcasting quietly)
911, what's your emergency?
(radio broadcasting quietly)
(keyboard tapping)
Okay.
Smoke, but it's empty.
(keyboard tapping)
Copy.
(fire alert beeping)
(dramatic orchestral music)
Central Dispatch to Shelby
County Fire, Shelby County EMS,
respond to a possible structure
fire at 1701 Baghdad Road.
Caller states that there is smoke
coming from an abandoned residence.
Location is believed to be empty.
Repeat, Shelby County
Fire, Shelby County EMS,
respond to a possible structure
fire at 1701 Baghdad Road.
Smoke is coming from
an abandoned residence.
(dramatic orchestral music)
(door clanking)
(dramatic orchestral music)
(fire truck engine starting)
(dramatic orchestral music)
[Assistant Chief
O'Brien] Let's go, come on!
(fire truck door thudding)
Go, go, go!
(fire truck door thudding)
(dramatic orchestral music)
(doors whirring)
(dramatic orchestral music)
(fire trucks rumbling)
(dramatic orchestral music)
(mellow rock music)
Open the door!
(fire truck door thudding) Let's go!
[Assistant Chief O'Brien]
Station one, clear on the run.
[Firefighter] Station
two, clear on the run.
[Dispatcher] Clear Station one and two.
Engine one is responding.
[Dispatcher] Copy, Engine one.
[Firefighter] Engine two responding.
[Dispatcher] Copy, Engine two.
All units responding to
structure fire on Baghdad Road.
Second caller advised
there are now flames visible from the roof.
Caller stated the abandoned residence
is frequented by squatters,
unsure if people are inside.
Engine one copies.
[Firefighter] Engine two copies.
(sirens wailing)
[Assistant Chief
O'Brien] Central Dispatch,
Engine one is arriving on the scene.
This is a working fire,
we have a single structure
with fire coming from the B
side and exposure on the D side.
All units responding.
We are going to operate on fire ground one.
[Dispatcher] Central Dispatch is clear.
[Assistant Chief
O'Brien] Engine one, clear.
[Firefighter] Engine two, clear
[Dispatcher] Central
Dispatch, be advised,
Battalion one, Engine
two is arriving on scene.
Battalion one will be assuming command.
Help, help!
No, no, listen, I didn't-
Who's inside?
- My girlfriend.
- Where is she?
- I don't know.
- What's her name?
It's Jodie.
Cook, where do you think you're going?
- Get out of there!
- Cook! Cook!
Why are you standing there?
Get those hoses charged
and get RIT in there now!
(tense melodic music)
(fire truck door thudding)
(tense melodic music) (water gushing)
(fire roaring)
Jodie!
(tense melodic music) (fire roaring)
(Brian coughing)
Can you hear me?
(tense melodic music) (fire roaring)
(water gushing) (tense melodic music)
(tense melodic music) (fire roaring)
Jodie!
(tense melodic music) (fire roaring)
Jodie?
(tense melodic music) (fire roaring)
(water gushing)
I've got her! We're coming out!
(triumphant orchestral music)
Hey, are you okay? (Equipment beeping)
(Brian coughing)
- Come on, sit down.
- Is she okay?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Is she gonna be okay?
Yeah, they're taking care of her, okay.
Now listen, you gotta
get checked out, all right,
you gotta get checked out.
- All right, all right, fine.
- That's an order.
- Okay!
(Brian coughing)
(water gushing)
(light switch clicking on)
Hey, Brian.
Oh, Shaun, what up? (Coughing)
Hey, you all right, man?
I heard you swallowed a lot of smoke.
(coughing) Yeah. I'm-I'm
good, man, really, I'm good.
All right, well, Chief
wanted me to come get you.
What's he want?
(Shaun sighing)
He wants you to go home.
Don't sh**t the messenger.
(sighing) Seriously?
Dude, you had a rough day.
Go home, chill with the family.
All right, fine, yeah, whatever.
All right, man.
(tinny rock music)
(door clicking)
Dad's home!
Dad!
Hey, sweetheart, how was school?
Awful! We had to
dissect frogs in biology.
Disgusting.
That sounds pretty awesome to me.
Ew, why are you so gross?
You wanna see gross?
- Ew, Dad!
- Brian James Cook,
don't you dare!
Come here, you. (Maddie laughing)
All right, you two.
Maddie, please go upstairs
and start on your homework.
You have cheer practice tonight.
[Brian] Listen to your mother.
So wanna tell me why you're
home and not at the station?
Not really.
Okay, let me rephrase.
Tell me why you are
home and not at the station.
Okay, but please
don't get all freaked out.
You got hurt?
No, no.
- You got fired?
- Oh, God, no.
Then why are you home?
If you quit asking 20 questions
and let me speak, I can explain.
Chief suggested I come home and relax.
What?
Why? Did you... Da da da da.
I forgot. Please continue.
Chief suggested that
I come home and relax,
because I took in a lot of smoke today.
Oh, my gosh! Brian, are you okay?
- I'm fine.
- Did you go to the hospital?
What did the doctor say?
- I am fine, I'm fine.
I did not go to the
hospital. (Hand slapping)
- Brian!
- Ouch! Calm down!
The medics checked
me out, they said I'm okay.
They told me to watch my
breathing for a few days.
If I start feeling bad, I
promise, I will go to the doctor.
Okay.
So why did you take in so much smoke?
Was your air not working?
I wasn't wearing it.
What? Why not?
There was a woman inside!
There was a woman inside the building,
I ran after her, we both made it out.
What happened, is she okay?
She wasn't, but the medics helped here
and took her to the hospital.
Shaun called a few minutes ago,
said she's gonna recover just fine.
Brian, honey,
you saved a life.
Oh, you saved that woman's
life. I am so proud of you!
(melodic orchestral music) Oh! (Gasps)
The kids are gonna freak out!
I gotta call Kristy, she is
never gonna believe this!
No, no, honey, no, please,
please don't call Kristy.
Hey, Kristy, guess what? (Brian sighing)
Brian saved a life!
I swear, those women
share the same brain.
(melodic orchestral music)
(TV broadcasting quietly)
Hey.
Coming to bed soon?
Yeah, I'm just gonna
finish this show though.
Don't stay up too late.
Hey, have you seen Drew?
I haven't seen him all day.
Yeah, he and Clay went
with friends to eat after practice,
and he just spent the night at Clay's.
On a school night?
Yeah, he said he'd be home in the morning
to shower and change.
You know I don't like
him staying out all night,
when he has school the next day.
It's gonna affect his school work,
and his chances of getting a scholarship.
Oh, stop it. You push him too hard.
Just relax, he'll be fine.
Okay, I'm going to bed.
Goodnight.
(TV broadcasting quietly)
(cicadas chirping)
(soft eerie music)
Uh!
Uh!
(soft eerie music) (fire roaring)
[Drew] Dad.
Dad!
Dad! (Brian gasping awake)
Oh, God.
Hey, buddy.
Are you leaving?
Yeah. Stay down here all night?
Ah, yeah, um.
I-I fell asleep watching TV.
Um, have you seen your mom?
She already left, had
to take Maddie to school.
Mom said you saved a
life yesterday. That true?
Yeah. (Sighs)
That's cool.
Well, I gotta go before I'm late.
All right, I'll see you later, buddy.
Ah, Dad, one thing,
do you maybe think we
could talk about the Army
a little bit more when I get home?
There's nothing left to talk about, son.
But Dad, I... There's no buts!
You'd better get to
school before you're late.
(Brian sighing softly) (door clicking)
(door thudding)
(traffic rumbling quietly)
(birds chirping)
(door creaking)
All right, see you, bro.
See you, bro.
(door creaking)
Bye, Clay!
(playful orchestral music)
See you soon?
Of course.
Bye, Clay.
Ah, hey, Mr. Cook.
I'd better get going.
(playful orchestral music)
(leaves rustling)
Sorry about the tree, Mr. Cook.
(playful orchestral music)
What was that?
What was what?
That. What was that?
I don't know what you're talking about.
(playful orchestral music)
(door creaking)
(door thudding)
(refrigerator door clicking)
(refrigerator door thudding)
(refrigerator door clicking)
(refrigerator door thudding)
[Brian] Oh, yeah.
Hey, Dad.
Hey.
Thirsty?
Ah, yeah, I just got back from a run.
I-I saw Clay leaving. How
was lacrosse practice?
It was fine.
Yeah, are you working hard?
You know, just 'cause
you're a two-year starter
doesn't mean you can't lose your position.
You gotta keep working hard
or you'll lose your
chances at a scholarship.
I've already told you,
I don't wanna go straight to
college, I wanna join the Army!
I don't care what you want,
you are not joining the Army.
You're getting a lacrosse scholarship,
you're going to college
and there is no discussing it!
I just wanna serve
my country, like you did!
Absolutely not!
But Dad, I can get job training
and then I can go to school after I serve.
I know what is best for you, okay!
You can't even begin to imagine
the horrors you might face.
You are getting a scholarship,
you are going to college,
and that is final!
But Dad, I... There's no buts, Drew!
This conversation is over!
Don't ever, ever bring it up again!
(solemn orchestral music)
(fire truck rumbling)
- Umbilical hose?
- Check.
- Generator?
- Check.
- Room?
- Check.
Hey, Superman!
How's it going, fellas?
Hey, the hero's here.
- Hey.
- It's good to see you,
- good to see you.
- Press loves a hero.
A hero?
More like zero.
I can't believe people are
actually calling you a hero.
Yeah.
A hero?
You didn't do anything special.
But he saved a life.
Yeah, sure, he did, but
not without putting his life
and everyone else's in danger.
Yeah, you put everyone else in danger.
Why do you always gotta do that?
You always gotta be the hero.
You're not even half the
firefighter that you think you are.
[Firefighter] Hey, Cook,
the Chief wants to see you!
You guys got this?
- Yeah, Lieutenant.
- We got you.
(muffled announcer speaking)
(hand patting)
Yates, always a pleasure.
You too, Tiny Hulk.
(firefighters chuckling)
Why does he always call me that?
Have you looked in
the mirror lately? (Laughs)
(hand patting)
(firefighters chuckling)
[Bobby] First off, how are you feeling?
I'm good, I had a little cough that day,
but I'm great since then, I'm okay.
Well, that's good to hear.
I called you in to talk about the run.
The woman that you
saved, doing much better.
She'll be getting out of
the hospital sometime soon
and maybe even going home.
That's wonderful, I was
wondering how she was doing.
Yeah, she's good and she's
alive because of what you did.
That being said,
you broke every safety
regulation in the book.
Not only did you put your life on the line,
you put every member
of the Battalion's life
in jeopardy as well!
Chief, I'm sorry, I just
reacted, I wasn't thinking.
No, you weren't thinking,
and personally, I believe
you ought to be suspended.
(radio broadcasting quietly)
But you saved a life.
Either which way, I think
you need some time off
to think about what you did.
Brian, we have protocols
in place for a reason.
Chief, again, I'm really sorry.
I know, but now I'm between
a rock and a hard place.
I received a call from the Mayor's Office,
he-he-he thinks you're a hero.
He wants to give you an award!
He wants to celebrate your actions!
I think it's completely
wrong and I told him so.
But he's insisting,
so whether I like it or
not, it pains me to tell you
that I have to recommend you for an award,
so I'm recommending you for
the Firefighters Medal of Valor,
and if approved, (sighing)
You're probably gonna get it
in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks, Chief, I-I
don't know what to say.
I wouldn't say anything, Brian,
as far as I'm concerned,
this is totally wrong.
I didn't agree with it, it wasn't my idea.
But I will support it.
Thank you, Chief.
(radio broadcasting quietly)
Is there anything else, Chief?
You know, I, ah,
I may not be able to suspend
you like I think I should,
but I can make your life
a little less comfortable.
Hamad!
Hamad, come in here for a minute, please?
(playful orchestral music)
Ali Hamad, meet Lieutenant Brian Cook.
Hello, sir, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Welcome to the team.
Hamad, is it?
Yes, sir, I'm honored
to be training with you.
I promise, I won't let you down.
Chief, is he saying
what I think he's saying?
Indeed, Lieutenant,
from this point forward
and until further notice,
you will be Hamad's
primary training officer.
Chief, you have to be kidding me?
I haven't trained anybody in years.
You can't seriously
be asking me to do this.
I'm not asking at all,
Brian, I'm telling you,
and considering the
situation you've got yourself in,
I don't see where you have much room
to argue about anything, do you?
(playful orchestral music)
No, sir.
Hamad, let's start over.
Lieutenant Brian Cook,
it's nice to meet you.
Thank you, sir, likewise.
Well, let's get after it, Probie.
(playful orchestral music)
Hamad, go.
Oh.
(Bobby sighing)
Look, kid, I don't know why
you wanna be a firefighter,
I don't know what brought you here
and frankly, I don't care.
What I do care about is
keeping you safe and training you
so you don't put the other men and women
of this department in danger.
What I say, you do, when I say do it.
Do you understand the rules?
Yes, sir.
Good.
Now go out to the bay
and help clean the trucks.
Left.
Your other left.
(playful orchestral music)
Tone's going off, right?
Three, two, one, let's go.
(claps) Chop chop, chop chop, newbie!
[Shaun] There you go.
- Let's go.
- Sleeve now.
Arms in, pull them up.
You ever put on pants before?
There you go, nice and
snug, let's go, find the hole.
There it is, there it is.
Fix that collar, fix
that collar, get it up.
(hand patting)
[Shaun] Helmet.
Helmet, let's go.
Don't forget your mask.
Let's go, keep going.
(tense melodic music)
(Ali groaning)
Pull it in tight.
[Shaun] All right, ready to go.
(locker door clanking)
Hey, Probie.
You worked hard today, nice job.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
Look, I promise, I won't let you down.
I'm sure you won't.
Are you always so serious?
Sir?
Are you always so serious, Probie?
Do you like to have fun,
you know, let your hair down,
party 'til dawn, get crunk?
Um, yes, Lieutenant, I have fun.
Good, meet me at The Barrel
Room around eight o'clock.
We can get a couple of drinks,
get to know each another.
I don't drink, Lieutenant.
Why not?
I'm Muslim, sir.
So?
Drinking is against my religion.
Oh.
Okay, well, you can
get a soda or something.
I'll clearly drink enough
for the both of us,
you know, (laughs) get crunk.
(car rumbling)
(birds chirping)
(car door clicking)
(car door thudding)
(birds chirping)
How are you, son?
Not bad, Dad.
Mom inside?
No, she's down at the gym,
some kind of new dancing exercise class.
You didn't wanna join her?
(Brian chuckling)
What brings you by, son?
You don't tend to visit
unless you got something on your mind.
Not true.
Ask your mom,
she keeps a tally.
You want a cup?
No, I'm good, thanks, Dad.
(birds chirping)
I've been having nightmares.
What kind of nightmares?
About fire,
runs,
victims, stuff like that.
I just, I feel so anxious
all the time, Dad.
I don't know what to do.
Anything like that ever happen to you?
A couple of times.
You don't spend 30
years in the fire service
and not have a couple of bad memories.
(birds chirping)
What did you do about them?
Nothing,
part of the job.
You tend to distance
yourself from those horrors.
You know, after your stint in the Army
and 15 years in the fire service,
I'd think you'd have learned that by now.
I have, I was just wondering
if anything like that ever happened to you.
Hm.
You still drinking?
Come on, Dad.
Not really.
Very rarely.
Very rarely, huh?
Well, that's something, I guess.
Well, Dad, I'd best get going.
Say hi to Mom for me.
Sure will.
See you next time you need something.
You guys good over here?
Great.
(background people chattering)
(Bob laughing)
Hey, my man! How you been?
Oh, man, smoother
than a top-shelf bourbon.
Where you been? I haven't seen you much.
Ah, you know, busy at work.
They got me on Probie duty these days.
Kid, this is Big Bob.
Oh.
There you go.
He's a local legend around
here, knows everything
that goes on in this town
and I mean everything.
It's nice to meet you, kid,
congratulations on the job.
I'm just sorry they stuck with this clown.
So you, ah, you got a name
or you want me to just
keep calling you kid?
Oh, yeah, it's Ali. It's
nice to meet you, sir.
[Bob] Nice to meet you.
Why do they call you Big Bob?
(laughing) Well.
Believe it or not, he
used to be a lot bigger.
- The truth.
- Now he's more like,
ah, kind of Big Bob.
Yeah, well, the doctor
and the old ball and chain
told me I had to get in better shape,
so they kind of forced me to do it.
So what are you fellas having?
Ah, bourbon on the rocks.
Let's make it a double tonight.
All right, what brand of bourbon?
Surprise me.
Okay, most expensive
bourbon in the house, got it.
- Of course.
- And what about you, kid?
Ah, can I have a glass of milk?
Are you serious?
You know this is a bar, right?
Yes, sir, but I don't drink alcohol.
You don't drink alcohol?
No, sir, it's against my religion.
(laughs) Well, clearly,
he's not Catholic.
All right, well, look,
kid, I don't have milk,
but I can get you a soda or something.
Yes, sir, a soda would be great.
All right, so crazy
expensive bourbon and a soda.
I'll be right back, guys.
(background people chattering)
So kid, why do you
wanna be a firefighter?
Well, I've wanted to be a
firefighter my entire life, sir.
But why?
I mean, most little boys wanna
be a fireman or policeman
or even a cowboy, but
they usually grow out of it
and go to something a little
more comfortable and safe
like a desk job.
No, not me,
I can't actually remember
wanting to do anything else,
so I've basically been laser
focused on getting here.
But you went to college,
you got a degree in
science or something, right?
Microbiology, to be exact.
What? Then what are you doing here?
Shouldn't you be in med
school or something?
Yeah, that was my dad's plan.
He and my mom came here from Palestine
to give me and my
siblings a better education,
more opportunity, basically a better life.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Yeah, but his dream is not my dream.
I know my parents love
me, but all they've ever done
is just push, push, just
pushing me toward their dreams,
their goals, nobody ever
asked about what I wanted to do
or what career I wanted to pursue.
[Brian] I don't care what you want!
You are not joining the Army!
You're getting a lacrosse
scholarship and going to college,
and there is no discussing it!
[Drew] I just wanna serve
my country, like you did!
[Brian] Absolutely not!
[Drew] Dad, I can get job training
and then I can go to school after I serve.
[Brian] I know what is best for you.
But Dad, I just... No buts, Drew!
Don't ever, ever bring it up again!
(soft tense music)
[Ali] Lieutenant?
Lieutenant?
Sir!
Yeah, sorry, kid.
Is everything all right, sir?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Look, your parents are
just looking out for you,
maybe you should listen to them.
What, are you telling me
I shouldn't be a firefighter?
Is it something that I did today?
Why are you saying this?
This is a tough career, kid,
we put ours lives at risk every single day.
You have an education,
why don't you use it?
Why don't you listen to your parents?
It's not too late to get out of all this.
Because that's not what I want!
Why are you saying all this?
Because parents know
what's best for their kids!
(Ali sighing)
(background rock music)
(background people chattering)
Look,
I'm sorry, kid.
I'm sure you're gonna
make a great firefighter
and I promise to keep
you safe while you learn.
I think I'm just gonna head home.
Wait, why? We can
still... No, no, no, no, no, no.
No, it's getting late, I'll
see you on the next shift.
(background rock music)
(background people chattering)
Again, kid,
I'm sorry for what I said.
Here's your soda, kid
and ah, where's he going?
Home, I guess.
Look, I should get going too.
What do I owe you for the drinks?
Oh, no, we're square on
the soda, kid, no worries.
Well, what about his bourbon?
Oh, he'll be back. We'll settle up then.
Hey, kid.
Good luck.
(soft tense orchestral music)
Hey, how are you, Brian?
(cans clanking)
(refrigerator unit door thudding)
(soft tense orchestral music)
It's 10.50, man.
Keep it.
[Liquor Store Clerk]
Thanks, have a good night.
(soft tense orchestral music)
(Brian gulping)
(Brian coughing)
(Brian sighing)
(fence rattling)
(soft tense orchestral music)
(Brian sighing)
(tense orchestral music)
Argh!
(melancholic orchestral music)
Brian!
Huh?
What?
Oh, my God!
Am I late for work?
No, Brian, you're off today.
Oh, thank God.
My head is k*lling me.
You didn't come home, Brian.
You're sleeping in the same
clothes you wore last night
and now I find you laying
in bed reeking of alcohol!
Where were you?
Babe, can you just please quit yelling?
My head really hurts and I
can't think straight enough
to have this conversation right now.
Fine, but don't think you
can ignore this conversation.
We will discuss it, just
as soon as you sober up!
(gentle orchestral music)
Morning, Drew.
Morning.
Rough day yesterday?
Oh, you know, just tired from work.
Ah-huh.
You need to get your stick off the table
before your mother sees.
She doesn't care.
Besides, it's Clay's anyway.
Oh, speaking of Clay,
have you seen his new ride?
Check it out.
He's gonna pick me up,
we're gonna take it for a spin.
I'll just drop it off then.
When am I gonna get my
car? I mean, I just turned 17.
Not for a while.
I didn't get my first car until I-
(fire alert beeping)
Until I was out of the military.
[911 Dispatch Operator] Central Dispatch
to Shelby County Fire, Shelby County EMS,
respond to a single
vehicle accident with injuries
at 1543 Zaring Mill Road.
See, this is exactly
what I'm talking about.
Shelby County 3307.10-8
to the scene in POV.
(radio hissing)
[911 Dispatch Operator]
Copy, Shelby County 3307.
Hey!
Since you slept all day,
we'll have our conversation tomorrow.
(door clicking)
(door thudding)
(soft tense music) (car engines idling)
(car rumbling)
(car door clicking)
(car door thudding)
(birds chirping)
What's up, Cook?
Another day, you know.
(car engines idling)
(soft tense music) (heart beating slowly)
(melancholic orchestral music) No!
Get out of the way!
Come no, Clay! Come on, Clay.
Come on, man!
Get here and help me! You have to save him!
No, back up!
(melancholic orchestral music)
Do your jobs!
Come on!
Come on!
Somebody do something to help me, come on!
Cook. (Cook sobbing)
He's gone.
(melancholic orchestral
music) (Cook sobbing)
(melancholic orchestral music continues)
(melancholic orchestral music continues)
[Officer Blackwell] Hey, Cook.
It appears that you knew
that kid, am I correct?
Yeah, he was my son's best friend.
[Officer Blackwell] Do
you know where he lives?
Does he still live with his parents?
Would you mind coming with
me to break the news to them?
It might be better coming
from a familiar face.
Yeah, I'll go.
Cook, you coming?
(birds chirping)
(Officer Blackwell knocking)
(door clicking) Mr. Jones?
Does your wife happen to be here?
I'd like to speak with both of you, please.
(gentle piano music)
Ma'am, sir, I'm sorry to inform you
that your son was involved
in a vehicle accident.
Unfortunately, his
injuries were too severe,
EMS was unable to save him.
No, there's been a
mistake, that's not my son.
It's not Clay!
Lieutenant Cook here
with Shelby County Fire
was able to identify him.
I'm under the impression that
they were both good friends.
- Brian?
- Ssh!
- Brian, were you there?
- Ssh!
- Did you try to help him?
- Come on.
Why didn't you do anything?
- Come on.
- No! Brian, you k*lled him!
(gentle piano music) (Brian sobbing)
(door thudding)
(video game beeping)
(controller buttons tapping)
Hey guys, Cook's coming.
(Brian sighing)
The guys told us what happened.
- I'm really sorry.
- Head high, man.
(hand slapping)
- Sorry for your loss,
- brother.
- Sorry, man.
Hang in there.
Cheer up. You can't save them all.
Hero.
(blow thudding)
- Uh!
(all scuffling)
- Get him!
Break it up! Hey! (All scuffling)
- Break it up!
- Get off me!
Let me at him!
Get off me, no!
You need him to save you?
- Chill, man!
- Huh?
Chill, chill, chill, chill!
No, no, let me back in there.
- No.
- You know
he was in the wrong!
- What's all the commotion?
Cook, are you fighting?
Chief, there's more to it than that.
Am I talking to you?
Cook, my office now!
(Bobby sighing)
(radio broadcasting quietly)
Chief, I just wanna say-
I don't wanna hear it, Brian.
You've been coming apart at
the seams for some time now.
Now, it's getting even worse.
Sir, I'm sorry.
Brian, I'm putting you on
paid administrative leave,
- so you can get some help.
- Help for what?
For whatever the hell is wrong with you!
There's nothing bothering
me, sir, I'm fine, I promise.
Brian, people talk,
and I've been told that not
only are you still drinking,
but it's getting even worse.
You're having a lot of
aggression toward your colleagues,
and I can only imagine
what's going on at home,
and I can't have this.
So I'm recommending you for therapy.
What, you can't be serious?
I don't need any therapy.
I don't wanna hear
it, Brian, you are going.
But Chief, what about the rookie?
I'm giving him to Yates.
Yates, are you kidding me?
Brian, you are attending these classes
whether you like it or not.
Now, our chaplain, Captain
Shaw runs these classes,
so at least there'll be
somebody there that you know.
These classes, what are they even for?
First responders, they
address everything from PTSD,
to aggression, depression,
mental disorders,
anything you got, they address it.
But Chief, I'm not mental.
You will be going to these
classes for the next six weeks,
if you wanna return to work.
- Sir.
- At the end of six weeks,
if Captain McGee signs
off on you being 100%,
you'll be fully reinstated,
if not, you and I will be
having a different conversation.
Brian, collect your stuff and go,
and call Captain McGee as soon as possible.
Let him know that you're
coming, because your first class
starts bright and early tomorrow morning.
But sir, I don't... Brian!
Go!
Cook!
Now!
Yes, Chief.
(radio broadcasting quietly)
(Bobby sighing heavily)
(door clicking)
Oh, hey, Lieutenant.
Hey, Rookie. You
following your check list?
Yes, sir, I'm actually
just studying the pumps.
You keep up the good work. I'll see you.
Wait, Lieutenant,
is everything all right?
Where are you going?
I'm taking a leave of absence.
Yates is gonna take over your training.
Oh, what?
It's okay, just follow his lead.
I know he's a jerk, but
he's a good firefighter.
I'll see you.
Bye, Lieutenant.
(gentle piano music)
(bag thudding)
(Brian sighing)
(gentle piano music)
(phone ringing)
[Jo] Hello?
Mom?
[Jo] Hi, sweetheart. What's wrong?
Nothing, Mom.
[Jo] Honey, I know when
something is bothering you.
What is it?
No, really, Mom, I'm okay.
I just called to say hi.
[Jo] Okay, dear, but you know
you can always talk to me, right?
Of-of course, Mom, I know.
Tell Dad I said hello.
Love you.
[Jo] I love you too.
(gentle piano music)
(bag thudding)
(gentle piano music)
(cellphone ringing)
[Melanie] Hello.
Hey, Mel.
Where's Drew?
[Melanie] I think he's at home. Why?
(gentle piano music)
Clay was in a car accident.
(gasps) Oh, no! Is he okay?
(gentle piano music) (Brian sobbing)
Brian?
Brian, is Clay okay?
Brian?
(gentle piano music)
(Melanie sighing)
Maddie.
Are you okay?
(gentle piano music)
(sobbing) Is Drew gonna be okay?
Of course, honey,
he just needs some time.
Your brother will be fine, I promise.
Sweetheart, what is it?
(gentle piano music) (Maddie sobbing)
I loved him.
Who, sweetheart?
Clay.
Oh, baby,
you were in love with Clay.
I'm sorry,
I didn't know.
Did he love you?
I think so.
He never said it,
but I think so.
Well, that's beautiful, honey.
Clay was a wonderful young man.
I'm glad you loved him
and he loved you in return.
(gentle piano music) (both sobbing)
Do you want me to give you some time?
No, just hold me.
Just hold me.
Oh, forever, my love.
Forever.
(gentle piano music) (both sobbing)
(traffic rumbling quietly)
Hey.
You're up early.
You're not going to work today, are you?
No.
About that, with
everything that's happened,
we really haven't had a chance to talk.
I really need to tell you something.
Oh, no. That sounds bad.
I'm not sure I can handle
any more bad news.
Brian, what is it?
I've been...
Put on paid leave.
What, because of the accident?
Not exactly, Chief thinks I
need to attend these classes
for first responders
before I can come back.
What type of classes?
These classes are at our church.
Is Reverend Bratcher running them?
No.
Captain McGee, our station's chaplain.
I wonder if Reverend
Bratcher will be there?
I hope not, he's always
trying to get me to go to church.
(laughs) So am I.
Brian, this is great!
You haven't been
yourself for some time now.
You've been drinking
more heavily, like before.
I'm worried about you.
I don't need this! I'm not going.
So what happens if you don't go?
I guess I don't have a job.
Then I guess you don't have a choice,
because you are not losing your job.
Plus, I think this will
be really good for you.
When do you start?
Today.
Brian, that's great.
I'm not going.
Yes, you are.
Have you checked on Drew this morning?
No. Have you?
(sighs) I tried, but
he doesn't wanna talk.
He's not going to school
today and neither is Maddie.
Will you check on them before you leave?
Sure.
Okay.
I have to go.
(gentle orchestral music)
I love you,
and hey, this is a good thing.
We're all gonna get through this together.
Bye.
(gentle orchestral music)
(door clicking)
(door thudding)
If you need anything at all,
your brother is right next door.
I love you very much.
(gentle orchestral music)
Okay.
I love you, Dad.
(melancholic orchestral music)
(door thudding)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(Brian knocking)
Drew?
Buddy, are you in there?
(door handle rattling)
Drew, can I come in?
Dad, go away, leave me alone.
I'm just worried about you, son.
Are you okay?
Drew?
Drew! (Door handle rattling)
Go away!
(melancholic orchestral music)
Okay, son.
Hey, I gotta go.
Take care of your sister
and call me if you need me.
(melancholic orchestral music)
(door clicking)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(church bells ringing)
(soft orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
I got everything taken care of for you.
- Oh, right.
- Should be good.
(soft orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
Brian! Welcome.
It's so good to have you here, Brian.
Although to be honest, I didn't
think you were gonna show.
I was expecting you to call.
Look, Captain, I don't
really need to be here.
The Chief seems to think you do.
So all I ask is you give
it a chance, all right?
You may be surprised by what you learn.
So feel free to get
something to drink, or a snack.
We're about ready to start, all right?
(soft orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
Okay, everyone, let's get started.
(soft orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
It would just be easier
if you could do it that way.
[Rick] Oh, well, that's my job in life.
It would save everybody so much time.
[Rick] So it'd be easier for you, okay.
That's all that matters, right? All right.
[Renee] Hey, I'm the
one who's gotta listen to it.
You're out there running around doing calls
and I'm sitting there listening to it.
[Rick] Oh, it's so good to be back.
Welcome, everyone.
Who's this guy?
Now Dallas, you know we don't do that.
But since you asked, this is Brian.
Everyone say hello to Brian.
[All] Hello, Brian.
Brian, since this is
your first meeting with us,
I'm gonna explain some of the ground rules.
First of all, this is a
welcoming environment.
Looking at me?
Also, we only use first names here.
So Brian, let me introduce
you to everyone, okay.
This is Ben. Like you,
Ben is a firefighter.
[Ben] Hey, brother.
I'm with the department
outside of Louisville.
And this is Rick.
Rick is a police officer.
Come on, man, no,
I'm a detective, all right,
and Brian, we, ah, we worked a few scenes
back when I was on the
beat here in Shelbyville.
So it's good to see you, man.
And to your right is Renee.
Renee is a dispatch operator.
Hi, Brian.
Ah, welcome.
And this inquisitive
gentleman to your left is Dallas.
Dallas is a former U.S. Army medic.
Hey, he shouldn't even be here, man.
Hey, man, I'll have you
know, I've seen more hell than-
(all shouting)
Stop.
Gentlemen.
Now, you know the rules.
(Rick sighing)
There's no crosstalk.
And Rick, everyone is welcome here.
Well, welcome.
Shut up, man.
- Dallas, gentlemen.
- Don't.
Listen, this is a welcoming
and nurturing environment.
(Rick sniggers)
Stop.
And this is not how we greet a new guest.
So Brian, this is your
first meeting with us.
Would you like to tell your
story and why you're here?
Not really. I don't even need to be here.
(chuckles) We all say that
the first time, brother, right?
Now, listen, this is
Brian's first meeting,
so naturally, he may be
a little hesitant to speak.
Maybe somebody else
would like to tell us their story
and why they're here?
I will.
Of course, you will.
[Renee] Stop.
Dallas, thank you, go ahead.
Hi, I'm Dallas, I was an
Army medic for five years
and served two tours of
duty over in Afghanistan.
I never really wanted to be a medic,
it just sounded kind of
cool, so I thought, all right.
I saw some really horrible things
over there during my deployment,
things I don't really like to get into,
but you all know that.
I started having anxiety attacks
and night terrors and stuff like that.
The Army diagnosed me with PTSD,
and I just, they sent me home.
Well, hold on, I thought this meeting
was for first responders only,
what is he even doing here?
Thank you.
Now, Brian, that is,
that is a good question,
however, we don't interrupt
when others are speaking, okay.
But since you asked, Dallas
has tried working as an EMwith other ambulance services.
Unfortunately, he's just not able
to stay with them very long.
Right, I'd go on a call
and over and over again,
it just kept happening,
I'd just flashback to Afghanistan.
You know, and then the ambulance service
would just cut me loose every time.
I still have a lot of bad
dreams and anxiety,
but this group, this
group's helped me a lot.
Well, mostly.
Dallas, thank you.
Who'd like to go next?
Um, I'll go.
Thank you, Renee.
(sighs) Hi, I'm Renee.
As you know, I am a dispatch operator
and I know what you're thinking,
"Why is she here?" (laughs)
You're thinking, "Sure,
your job is stressful,
but does she really need a support group?"
Two years ago,
I received a call
from a nine-year-old little girl,
who said her daddy was
hurting her mommy really bad.
I could hear the screaming
and the banging in the background.
She was begging him
to stop hurting her mom.
(Renee sobbing quietly)
I was desperately trying
to get someone to her,
but it was one of those
nights where it was so busy,
we had officers on
calls out all over the city.
So I just did the best that I could.
I was assuring her that we
were gonna get somebody there
while also just trying to keep her calm.
And suddenly the phone went silent.
(gentle piano music) (Renee sobbing)
I asked her what was going on,
and she started screaming,
"My mommy's not moving."
She's not moving.
"Daddy k*lled Mommy." Over and over again.
And then she started saying, "Stop, stop!"
I told her to run, (sobbing)
Run outside somewhere, get
help, a neighbor or something,
but she couldn't hear me.
I was desperately trying to
get somebody there to help her.
And then the phone went silent again.
(gentle piano music) (Renee sobbing)
I kept saying, "Hello, hello!
Hello!"
And then someone picked up the phone.
I could hear him breathing really heavy,
and I could tell it was a man.
So I said,
"Hello, sir.
Is everything okay?"
Nothing.
And then a loud bang.
I stayed on the line until I could hear
when officers had arrived on scene.
He had beaten his daughter
and her mother to death
with a leg of a chair
from their kitchen table.
And then he turned a g*n on himself.
All while I sat there on the phone.
That was the call that shook me to my core.
I was on mental health leave for months,
and that's when I found this group.
(gentle piano music)
So yeah, that was about two years ago.
But six months ago, I was
able to return to work full time.
And while I relive that call
and others over and over again,
this group,
it's really helped.
It's helped for me to learn to cope.
Thank you, Renee, thank
you for sharing your story.
Who'd like to go next?
Ah, I'll go.
Okay, Rick, thank you.
(Rick clearing throat)
Brian, you and I, we go back a few years.
Um, (clears throat)
obviously, as a police officer,
I see some pretty bad things,
often the scum of society
and I didn't expect that to change
when I transferred departments
and became a narcotics detective.
But I certainly didn't
expect it to get any worse.
However, I managed to do just fine,
until the day came I was
forced to use my weapon.
We had just completed a
big bust of a meth house
on the north end of town,
and completed our
arrests, running the K-9s,
and I was doing the
final sweep, (clears throat)
When someone rushed
out of a hidden plank door
in one of the closets.
And they were holding an AR-15.
I drew down on him and
demanded he drop his weapon.
He was in the shadows of the hallway,
and I could only make out his silhouette.
I kept on yelling at him,
"Drop your weapon, drop your weapon."
And he didn't.
Then he appeared to
raise it, and I fired on him.
I realized it was a kid.
(gentle piano music) (Rick sobbing quietly)
He was a 15-year-old kid.
He died before the
ambulance could get there.
(gentle piano music)
I-I remember that.
I didn't realize that was you.
Yeah. (Clears throat)
Well, obviously, I was
put on administrative leave
while they investigated it.
They found the sh**ting to be justified,
but I, I didn't accept it.
So I had nightmares and
struggled to pull my weapon,
continuously failed at the range,
and I was again put on administrative leave
and assigned to department counseling,
it didn't help.
But a colleague, um, suggested this group.
So I'm, um,
I'm back on patrol now
and I still struggle with
the rigors of the job,
so I come here,
and it helps.
(gentle piano music)
And my captain says I have to, so.
Rick, thank you.
Well, Ben, your turn, do you
mind sharing with the group?
- Absolutely.
- Thank you.
Brother, I don't have to tell you
how tough this job can be.
We see horrible things every day,
some are worse than others.
We've seen burn
victims, terrible accidents,
you name it, we've seen it. (Sighing)
When we meet people,
it's usually at one of the
worst moments of their lives,
and ah, they're looking to us to help them
or to even save them from dying.
That's tough.
And sometimes, no matter what we do,
no matter how hard we
try, we just can't save them.
We live with these images
every day of our lives,
and ah, (breathes deeply)
I've always been able to
avoid internalizing it, you know.
I've been able to wake
up, go to work, do my job,
and go home and sleep soundly,
until one run,
one run changed all of it.
I'll never forget it either, what's crazy,
it should've been the least
disturbing auto accident
I ever worked, or so I thought.
It was a two-vehicle accident,
and it was a small truck and a sedan,
and the truck T-boned the car
when it came across the bridge.
When we got there,
there was hardly any
damage to either vehicle.
The driver of the car
pulled out in front of the truck
and it had been raining out.
He couldn't stop. He couldn't swerve.
There was nothing he could do.
The driver of the truck walked away,
no injuries.
But the driver of the car was a teenager
and he was, ah, he was dead on impact.
This kid had virtually no visible injuries,
just a few small scratches,
but he had massive internal injuries.
That night, I woke up from a deep sleep
and I was hyperventilating
and I-I couldn't catch my breath.
I just kept seeing this
kid's face in my head
over and over and over again.
Like, I couldn't make sense
of it. I couldn't figure it out.
The only thing I could come up with
is that that kid was the
same age as my own son.
(gentle orchestral music)
(laughs) Suddenly, every run that I went on
haunted me day in and day out.
I didn't tell a soul, (laughs) no,
I couldn't even tell anybody
at my own department.
But my wife, she was concerned,
she started looking for
ways for me to get help.
She's the one that found
Help for First Responders
and she encouraged me to attend.
In this group, they've
taught me how to learn
how to manage my anxiety and fear.
More importantly, they've
shown me that I'm not alone.
[Walter] Very good.
And we all have similar situations.
So ah, I'm glad you're here, brother.
Ben, thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you all for sharing your stories.
So Brian, after hearing all that,
would you like to share your story
and tell us why you're here?
(soft eerie music)
Pass.
Well, okay, but Brian,
when you're ready to share,
we would love for you to do so.
(wind blowing gently)
(soft eerie music)
(wind blowing gently)
(soft eerie music)
(Drew sobbing) (soft eerie music)
Argh!
(wind blowing gently) (Drew sobbing)
(church bells ringing)
(cellphone alerting)
[Melanie] Have you seen Drew?
(cellphone alerting)
No. I tried calling, but he
didn't answer his phone.
I'm worried about him.
(cellphone alerting)
I hope you're right.
By the way, I ordered an arrangement
to be delivered to the
funeral home tonight.
Visitation is from 5-8
p.m. We'll go as a family.
(melancholic orchestral music)
(background people chattering quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
Go ahead.
(melancholic orchestral music)
Honey, what is it?
I can't go in there.
I just can't do it.
Babe, we have to.
I can't face them,
I just, I cannot do it.
(melancholic orchestral music)
This was not your fault.
(sobbing) That's our son's best friend.
We have to go inside.
(melancholic orchestral music)
Come on.
(melancholic orchestral music)
You can do this.
(melancholic orchestral music)
(background people chattering quietly)
(soft tense music) (heart beating slowly)
(gentle orchestral music)
(heart beating slowly)
(heart beating rapidly)
(gentle orchestral music)
(gentle orchestral music continues)
Brian.
(gentle orchestral music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
Barb,
I am so-
(hand slapping) (guests gasping)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(soft orchestral music) (both sobbing)
(birds chirping)
(water pouring) (coffee machine hissing)
(door clicking)
- Hey!
[Brian] Hey, Mom.
What a wonderful surprise.
What brings you here?
Um...
Is Dad home?
No, he's out riding horses
with our neighbor Henry.
- Okay.
- Did you need him?
No, I actually came to see you.
Well, good. Can I fix you some breakfast?
No, I'm okay.
How about some coffee?
No, Mom, really, I'm okay.
Brian, you seem troubled.
Is everything okay with
Melanie and the kids?
Oh yeah, everyone's fine.
I do have a question about Dad though.
Okay.
I stopped by not too long ago
and talked to him about
having nightmares and stuff.
He mentioned that you'd stopped by.
He said he had similar
nightmares and all,
when he was in the fire
service, do you remember that?
Yes, very vividly. Your father
had some very hard times.
Is this about that class you're taking?
What, how do you know about that?
Melanie told me.
She shouldn't have done that,
but yeah,
kind of.
Brian, she's worried about you.
Sometimes we firefighters'
wives have to stick together.
It isn't easy being married
to you all, you know.
Well, that's why I ask.
Dad said he just learned
to cope with things.
I don't know how to deal with that.
Like what did he do,
how did he make it stop?
He didn't do it alone.
He had a bottle helping
him 90% of the time.
What?
Yes, when your father
wasn't feeling right in the head,
he would turn to drinking heavily
and I nearly left him over it.
(gentle orchestral music)
How did I not know any of this?
Because I hid it from you.
Brian, you were just a child.
You didn't need to
see your father like that.
Your dad's a good man,
but the job was tough for him.
But he loved it, sometimes I
thought more than he loved me.
No.
But then one day,
they lost a family in a fire
and he came home drunk as a skunk.
That was it, I told him it
was either the bottle or us.
If he wanted to continue
being a firefighter
with a wife and son at home,
he was gonna have to get some help.
And he did the very next day.
How? Who did he see?
He saw our pastor, he started
meeting with him regularly.
I don't know what they
talked about, but it worked.
I think he just needed someone
to share the horrors with,
and that was something that
he never wanted to bring home.
Oh, my sweet boy, I think
that's what this class is about.
It's a way for you to talk to someone
who can relate, but not judge.
(soft orchestral music)
I hope you're taking it seriously.
I don't know, Mom.
I just don't think it's for me.
Oh dear, I hope I haven't upset you.
No, Mom,
you didn't.
I love you.
Ah, aw!
I love you too, son.
You give my best to Dad for me.
I will.
I'll see you later.
(soft orchestral music)
[Shaun] So how's things back home, man?
Things are great, man, thanks for asking.
- Yeah.
- I've been a little bit
busier at the station... Probie.
You having a good time wasting time?
Oh, no, sir, I was just talking to Shaun.
Come on, let's find something for you
and your juice box to do, let's go.
Let's go, Probie.
(door clicking) - Don't
worry about it, kid,
- we'll catch up later.
- Let's go.
Cutler.
Cutler!
(door thudding)
(soft tense music)
(cellphone ringing)
[Brian] You've reached Brian
Cook. You know what to do.
(cellphone beeping)
- Yo, Brian, it's me.
Just checking in, I haven't
talked to you in a while.
Give me a call back when
you get a few minutes.
The station's just not the
same without you here.
I miss you, bro. (Soft orchestral music)
All right, let's get started, everyone.
So first I'd like to introduce Ken.
Ken is from U.S. Border
Patrol, so hello, Ken.
- Hey.
- Hey Ken.
- What's going on, buddy?
- Nice to meet you.
So Ken, to get started, why
don't you introduce yourself
and let us know why you're here.
Like you said, my
name's Ken, Border Patrol,
Southern Border worker
for quite a few years.
Seen a few things, just wanna come in
and get some things off my chest.
(rain pattering) (soft orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
One for you.
One for you.
All right, got you guys
all settled and filled up.
(glass clanking) I heard that sound.
You guys need a refill?
Oh yeah, definitely.
I'll get that for you in
just a moment, all right.
Everything's good here?
Yo. (Sighing)
What you doing here, Brian?
Hey, Bob.
Can I get a bourbon on the rocks?
Can't serve you.
What? What do you
mean you can't serve me?
Just like I said, I can't serve you.
Why not?
(sighing) Brian, I
know about the meetings.
How do you know about those?
I'm Big Bob, I know everything.
I can't be an enabler.
It's just perfect, I
come in here just to relax
and now I find out that everybody knows
about these meetings.
I don't even need to be there, Bob!
(background rock music)
(background people chattering)
Come on, man, just give me one drink.
Bob, I said pour me a drink!
Brian, you know I love you, man.
And I'm not gonna pretend to
know what you're going through,
but you need to remember
whose place this is.
I think you'd better leave.
Go on now, go home, see the wife and kids.
Go on!
This is just great, Bob, just great!
(gentle piano music)
And get some help, man.
(melancholic orchestral music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(bourbon pouring)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(bottle clanking)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
Please God,
please, God, help me.
I don't know what to do anymore.
I don't know what to do
with-with these thoughts,
these things,
these demons inside of me.
I just, I feel as empty as this bottle!
(bottle clanking)
I have nothing!
I'm destroying my career.
I'm ruining my family.
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
Please, God,
just help me, just-just help, show me.
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(bottle clanking)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(melancholic orchestral music)
(phone ringing)
Hello, this is Alan Bratcher.
Hello, Reverend Bratcher,
this is Melanie Cook.
Melanie, to what do I owe the pleasure?
Um, I'm calling about Brian,
Brian's in the group
meeting at your church.
Um, have you seen him there?
Well, sure, I see him coming and going
and sometimes when I'm
refilling coffee, why do you ask?
Do you know if he's participating?
I mean, is he trying to get
something out of these sessions?
It's not really my place to
be a part of those meetings,
but Captain McGee has made it sound
like Brian's a bit
reluctant to participate.
Um, I'm worried about him.
He's really struggling emotionally
and he really needs help.
Well, again, it's, it's not my place
to be a part of those meetings,
but I will stop by and and say hello.
Thank you, Reverend, I appreciate it.
Oh, think nothing of it.
You know, Melanie,
keep praying for Brian.
God always seems to,
to reach us when we're at our lowest point.
Thank you, Reverend.
[Alan] Of course, God bless.
(receiver clattering)
(Alan sighing)
(phone ringing)
[Kristy] Hello?
Hey, girl. (Laughs) I'm coming over.
[Kristy] When?
Right now, I just gotta grab my purse.
[Kristy] You okay?
Put on a pot of tea, would you?
We have a lot to talk about.
There's some ups and downs,
like this weekend, for
example, it's gonna be an up.
I'm gonna be marrying a
young couple, I'm excited,
it's one of my first
weddings I've ever done.
They let you do that?
Listen, man, my life has
changed with this group.
- Clearly.
- Yes, it definitely has.
Ah, I went to this magic
show and I was really impressed,
so I think I'm gonna become a magician.
- Wow!
- Hold up, hold up.
- Is it real magic?
- It's all real.
- Real magic.
- No way.
Abracadabra! Wow!
I mean, it wasn't bad, I just,
it just felt like we just, I'm helpless.
I'm just on the phone waiting and waiting
for someone to get there
and all I can do is just keep them calm.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
But you know, we do what we can do
and it's getting better.
It's just another day, another
day and same old, same old.
What's it even matter? I mean-
[Rick] Come on, man, don't be like that.
No, we, I'm getting by,
it's just, it's, nothing's changing.
The world's gonna be how it is, you know,
you just gotta exist in it and that's fine.
It must have been really
scary seeing him like that.
Is he gonna be okay?
I think so.
(sighing) I don't know.
I understand that he's
going through some things,
but you and the kids are
suffering too, doesn't he see that?
I don't think he sees anything
but his own problems anymore.
And he's not taking his meetings seriously.
He's supposed to be there now,
and honestly, I'm not sure if he's going.
Mel,
you have to do something.
This is tearing you apart, I can see that.
You need to talk to
him, really talk to him.
I'm trying, more so
for the kids than for me.
They need their father,
and you know him, Kristy,
he's a really great dad,
but something has changed.
Maybe you should see someone too.
I am,
I'm here with you.
- You're my person.
- Oh.
[Walter] I really
enjoyed the interaction.
- Loved it, thank you.
- Thank you.
[Walter] Now, before you leave,
don't forget the refreshments, all right?
- Yes.
- See you next week.
[Rick] All right, let's get
it. Hey, come on, we got it.
You ain't gonna forget
those refreshments, are you?
Brian.
Can we chat a minute?
Brian, you are not participating.
I really gotta go, Cap.
No, I haven't seen you share one time.
I can't release you back to duty,
if I don't see you trending
in a positive direction.
Maybe next time, but seriously, Captain,
- I gotta go.
- All right.
I'm sorry.
Hey, guys.
- Hey!
- What are you doing here?
What's going on, man?
We're trying to catch you
as you come out, you know.
How's it going, Lieutenant?
Good, kid. How's training going?
Good.
Other than Yates and
Cutler, you know, hazing him.
No, Yates isn't that bad.
But seriously, what's the deal with Cutler?
Who, Tiny Hulk?
Yeah, all he does is follow us around
and repeats everything Yates says.
I think his mom dropped
him on his head as a kid.
He has trouble forming complete sentences.
Oh, and never let him hook up a hose line,
shapes confuse him.
(all laughing)
Anyway, speaking of
Yates, he's cooking tonight.
Yikes!
Yeah, so we were thinking
of getting something to eat
at the taco truck around the corner.
Want to come with us?
Oh no, I really gotta
get home, but rain check?
- Yeah.
- No problem.
Yeah, nice.
Guys, this was great, I
needed the pick-me-up.
Can we do it again?
Yeah, of course, just you
know, answer your phone.
Bye, Lieutenant.
Yeah, man, it was good
to see you guys today too.
But listen, I just got home,
I'm about to grab a snack,
see where everybody's
at, give me a call tomorrow.
[Shaun] I will if you pick up.
(laughs) I picked up just now, didn't I?
[Shaun] Finally.
All right, man, goodnight.
(packaging rustling)
(cabinet door thudding)
Hey guys, I'm home!
(packaging rustling)
Hello!
(chip crunching)
(gentle piano music)
[Melanie] "Brian, I know things"
have been difficult for you lately,
but your problems are
taking a toll on this family.
I've tried talking to you,
but you refuse to hear me.
I think we all need a
break, so the kids and I
are going to stay at
Kristy's house for a few days.
Unless there's an emergency,
please don't call or come by.
Let's just have a few days to
breathe and clear our heads.
"I'm praying for you. All my love."
"Melanie."
(gentle piano music)
(letter crumpling)
(hand thudding)
(gentle piano music)
(fire truck sirens wailing)
(gentle piano music)
Okay, I'll do that.
- Wait, I go this way, right?
- Yep.
(playing piece tapping)
[Radio Presenter] South
five to 10 miles per hour
and the sun may give way to rain.
(Melanie sobbing)
(gentle piano music)
"How should a man love his wife?
"He should be willing to
sacrifice everything for her."
(church bells ringing)
[Renee] I'm just ready for the weekend.
I mean... I am-
[Walter] All right,
everyone, let's get started.
Hold up, Dallas isn't here yet.
Yeah, I mean, shouldn't we
give him a few more minutes?
He's probably just sleeping
off a bender somewhere.
Listen, everyone, no crosstalk.
Dallas won't be joining us today.
Why not?
Did he quit?
Come on, man, tell them the truth.
Dallas won't be joining us ever.
- Huh?
- What do you mean?
I'm sorry to tell you this,
but Dallas took his
own life three days ago.
- What?
- (Gasps) Oh, my God!
His, ah...
His mother hadn't been able
to get a hold of him for a couple of days,
so she called the police
for a wellness check.
Officers arrived at his
house yesterday afternoon.
They found him dead
from an apparent
self-inflicted g*nsh*t wound.
I know this is a shock for everyone.
We all have witnessed horrible things,
things that, that we hold on to,
we just, often times, we can't let go of
and they, they just eat at us slowly.
Dallas tried to control his
demons and I tried to help.
But in the end,
his demons just became too much for him
and he simply gave up.
Would anyone like to say anything?
Rick?
Ben?
Renee?
Brian, what about you, Brian?
Walter.
Mind if I share something?
[Walter] Oh, yes, please, Reverend.
You know, most people don't know
how I got into the
ministry, how I got here.
But a lot of years ago,
I joined a fire department
not too far away from here.
Back then I was, well, I
was a young buck like Brian
and I'd never missed a call ever.
In fact, I was the first
medic on our fire department,
and so I pulled double duty
and just absolutely loved it.
But you know, there's 28 other
guys on our fire department.
They'd take vacations,
spend time with their families,
went hunting, went fishing,
so there was never really
28 guys on our department.
But I didn't do any of those things.
It was all the job to me.
So I was always the
first one there every time.
It was probably the third week, August,
and ah, we had a wildfire that
was spreading pretty rapidly
and coming towards our town
and so they called everybody
and we were out there
fighting that thing for 16 hours.
I was wiped,
so I went home and didn't
even take my gear off.
I just kind of plopped down on my La-Z-Boy
and my wife came in and she
brought me some sweet tea
and warmed up supper.
As she handed it to me, she reminded me
that that had been the day
that we were supposed to go out
with the Harvieuxs, Frenchie and Olivia,
they were our best friends
and Frenchie and I were like brothers.
They lived just a little less
than a mile away from my house.
So my wife was, "You
know, we need to reschedule."
I was just, I was too tired to
even have this conversation.
A few hours later, my
pager went off, (sighing)
And as the tones were sounding,
I jumped up like I always
did into a standing position.
And then I grabbed that pager
and turned it off just
as quickly as I could.
As long as I was standing,
I was heading for bed.
And I ran into my wife in the hallway
and she had woken up
'cause she heard the tones
and she said, "What's the call?"
And I said, "I don't
know and I don't care."
I can't do it all the time.
There's 28 other guys on this department
"and it's someone else's turn tonight."
I headed straight for bed.
The next morning, I woke up early,
usually did.
I stopped at the local cafe in town.
As I walked in the front door of the cafe,
everybody stopped talking.
And you know what that means?
(gentle melancholic music)
It took less than a
minute for me to find out
that Frenchie Harvieux
had died the night before
of a heart attack.
(gentle melancholic music)
See, it turns out that had
been the call I silenced
less than a mile away down the road
and I had no idea that was even happening.
(breathes deeply) Olivia had called 911.
She had tried to do CPR.
She didn't know what she was doing.
So Frenchie passed there in their home.
(gentle melancholic music)
I could have been there.
I had the skills, I had the, the training
right here in my hands.
I just wasn't there.
Now, whether or not he
would've stepped into eternity
that night, either way,
I don't know.
But see, that's the problem
is that I didn't know
and I would never know
which way it could have gone
if I had just gotten there in time.
The memory
of turning this pager off,
this pager
haunted me
and it drove me
into a horribly terrifying dark place.
(gentle melancholic music)
You just lost Dallas.
But I wouldn't be here today
if my wife had not found
me hanging in my office.
I had never, ever thought
about committing suicide
in my entire life,
and here I was one year
after Frenchie's death,
attempting to commit suicide
in my own home with my kids upstairs.
(gentle melancholic music)
While I was in the hospital,
the minister from this
church visited me a lot,
over several months.
We became close and he stuck by me.
And he shared with me a scripture
from the Book of Philippians chapter three,
where the Apostle Paul says
that he considered nothing
more important than the call,
that everything else was rubbish.
And he said that what I had gone through
(gentle melodic music)
Had given me an insight
that few people have as
to how important the call is
and that we're to continue forward
no matter what,
not just walking in the
confidence that we're called,
but walking in self-forgiveness,
because that's what the world needs.
I always keep this pager
close by me, sits on my desk
to remind me
that there was a reason
that God's about forgiveness.
See, I had a new call.
I took over this church
from that kind old man
and herd his whole flock.
My focus since then has
been to answer that call,
to keep my pager turned on
and to make sure that
I continue to reach out
and hold up my hand to
the people in this community
before they step into eternity.
Wow!
Reverend, thank you so
much for sharing your story.
If I may ask, how are things today?
Wonderful. These are
the best times of my life.
When people ask me, "How's your day going?"
Or "How's your life going?"
I just tell them, "It is well."
(Brian sobbing quietly)
Ah, I...
I think I'd like to share.
(gentle piano music)
Yes, Brian, please,
we'd love for you to share.
So the floor is yours.
(gentle piano music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
The crying is the easy part these days.
It's the actual sharing
that's the struggle.
As you know, (laughs) I'm Brian.
I am a father,
a husband,
a firefighter,
and an alcoholic.
(gentle piano music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
I strongly believe that I also
suffer from severe anxiety,
PTSD and God only knows what else.
(gentle piano music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
Being a firefighter is so tough.
It's the hardest job.
But over the last several weeks,
I've started to realize that
fighting the fire in the field
is nothing, nothing
compared to fighting the fire
that is just raging inside.
(gentle piano music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
So I guess
I'm here to try and figure out how to...
Just put out the other fire.
(gentle piano music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
Brian, thank you for sharing your story.
(gentle piano music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(Brian knocking)
(door clicking)
Mel!
It's for you.
(gentle orchestral music)
I-I-I think I'm ready to get some help.
(gentle orchestral music)
(Brian sobbing quietly)
(gentle orchestral music)
(both sobbing and laughing)
(soft orchestral music)
Ladies and gentlemen, we gather today
to recognize one of our
own, a true local hero,
a man who risked his life
to save the life of another.
Today, we honor Lieutenant Brian Cook
of the Shelby County Fire Department.
Lieutenant Cook has proudly served
as a member of our fire
department for over 15 years.
He is a third generation firefighter,
following in the footsteps
of both his father and his grandfather.
We are proud to call him a native son.
Today, we recognize him for saving the life
of Miss Jodie Pine,
who was trapped inside a
house with no chance of escape.
His selfless act of heroism
not only saved her life,
but brought honorable
recognition upon his department
and his family's legacy.
At this time, we ask
Lieutenant Cook to step forward
and receive the Shelby
County Fire Department's
highest award, the Medal of Valor,
which will be presented
by the Department Chief, Bobby Cowherd.
(guests applauding)
(melodic orchestral music)
(guests applauding)
I want you to know that
you broke all the protocols,
but I am proud of you
and not for just this.
Thank you, sir.
(melodic orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
Are you taking anything
from the family with you?
I'll be back.
(background people
chattering) (soft orchestral music)
Maddie, put your phone down.
Mom.
Those first few weeks,
he just, he wouldn't open up,
but once he did.
Thank you again, Mr. Mayor.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chief.
Thank you.
There's somebody over
here I want you to meet.
[Melanie] I am so proud of you.
Congratulations, Brian,
well deserved, well deserved.
Thank you, Reverend.
So I hear you're going back to work
on the department next week?
Yeah, we're finalizing
the red tape right now,
and I gotta tell you, I am really excited
to get back in the field.
(chuckles) So what now?
Well, right now, we're gonna go celebrate
and have dinner with my family.
Oh, wonderful! You know,
your kids are getting so big.
Yeah, you're telling me. (Alan chuckles)
What I meant, Brian, is what now for you?
(gentle piano music)
I don't know. I need to
get my career back on track.
I need to make amends with my family.
I know I need to keep attending that group,
so that I have the support that I need.
And who knows,
maybe you'll even see me
in church from time to time.
(chuckling) I'd like that.
Honestly, Reverend,
I'm just trying to take
it one day at a time.
Brian,
that's all any of us can do.
(soft orchestral music)
(soft melodic music)
It's been a year
and honestly, I don't know how I got here.
Things are much better at work.
Everyone enjoys one another's company
and we try to have fun in our downtime.
We play video games, (all cheering)
Take the trucks out to eat,
and we even play some basketball.
Honestly, I'm even starting to like Yates.
Hm, well, sort of.
I enjoyed training so much, I volunteered
to oversee training
our Junior Firefighters.
It's rewarding to work with young people,
who want to pursue a
career of helping others.
And speaking of training young people,
Ali is getting along great!
The guys at the department
really seem to like him
and enjoy giving him a hard time.
In fact, he's doing so well,
I asked him to join me
in training the Juniors.
I still attend the support group.
I am much more open today
and find that the others in the group,
whether old or new, really help one another
cope with the horrors of
what we see every day.
Talking through it all definitely helps.
Thanks for coming in, it means a lot.
Things are great with the family,
we do things together as often as we can.
For me? (Melanie laughing)
[Brian] Drew's a senior
now, so I'm trying to spend
as much time with him as I can,
especially before he leaves
for Basic Training this summer.
Yeah, we compromised.
He's still going to college in the fall,
but he'll do so as a member
of the Army National Guard.
He gets to follow his
dream of serving our country
while also getting his education.
Melanie and I have
reconnected in so many ways.
We make quality time for one another,
even if it's just cooking a
meal or watching movie.
We are even going on a
vacation, just the two of us,
when Drew leaves for Basic.
This will be the first time
we've done that since our honeymoon.
She truly is my best friend
and I don't deserve her,
but she loves me anyway.
Now here I am, standing
among friends and family
celebrating my little
girl's Sweet 16 Party.
16, where have the years gone?
Time just flies by and
I feel like I've spent
so many years so wrapped up in my career
and dealing with my own personal demons,
that I missed out on so much.
I missed out on all the things around me,
that are so much more important
than what I made priorities in the past.
This past year has been
a roller coaster of emotions,
but I wouldn't change a minute of it.
(soft orchestral music)
(background people chattering)
Well, maybe a couple.
I am stronger for it
all and so is my family.
I have a new appreciation for life
and the people I share it with.
I appreciate things more, I love more.
I better manage my fears and anxiety
and I don't self-medicate anymore.
I have learned to accept loss.
Yeah, I worked hard to
get to where I am today.
When people congratulate
me for what I have overcome,
I am humbled, honestly, I
don't know how to respond.
But when they ask me how life is today,
I simply tell them, "It is well."
(stirring orchestral music)
(fire whooshing)
(stirring orchestral music)
(stirring orchestral music continues)
(stirring orchestral music continues)
(stirring orchestral music continues)
(fire whooshing)
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Fighting the Fire (2024)
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