Code Black

So far, what we know

- is that the fire stated somewhere... -

...in the Santa Clarita hills late last night

and quickly spread throughout the area.

Local fire crews worked throughout the night...

...establishing a containment zone

in hopes of protecting several neighborhoods

including one in Sylmar, where residents were placed under...

- Hello. - What are you doing here?

My house.

Funny. Last time I checked, I live here.

According to the Probate Division

of the Los Angeles Superior Court...

Dad, we went over and over this.

Robert wanted to fix this place up.

- That's what I'm gonna do. - That's what you said two years ago

when you made them transfer you here.

I didn't make them transfer me.

You know what? Let's start over.

- Looks like you haven't gotten very far. - Hey, Dad. It's been a while.

- How is the short game? -

Just a minute. It's gonna be hot as ass out there today, so...

- Oh. - Rox.

- Meet my dad. - Colonel Martin Willis.

- - And you are...

- Roxanne Valenzuela. Nice to meet you. - Girlfriend?

- She's pretty. - Partner and an excellent paramedic.

I'm, uh, standing right here, guys.

Partners? Four years of medical school,

3 years residency, and 20 years in the military,

and now you're a medic?

Having a doctor on site dramatically increases survival rates.

- And that's why you're doing this? - Why else would I do it?

There's a 4,000-acre blaze

- in Santa Clarita. -

The governor issued a state of emergency.

We're being deployed to the fire line.

- What the hell's that? - That's our ride.

Your patient came in with head trauma,

but you didn't order a CT scan until hours later. Why?

Detective Gomez refused treatment.

At that point, did you assess his capacity

for making decisions?

Uh... what do you mean?

Never answer a question with a question.

The officer took a bullet to the head, Dr. Dixon.

Did it occur to you that he might have suffered

traumatic brain injury, keeping him from understanding

the severity of his situation?

- I'm pretty sure he understood, but... - You're pretty sure?

- I don't hear any certainty. - Enough.

Keep your responses short and declarative.

- He's not ready. - That's why we practice Will.

Look, I am grateful for your help,

but I've been thinking about this lawsuit,

and if I'm really responsible for the death of my patient,

then I want to accept the consequences.

You have a responsibility to this hospital.

Now your crisis of conscience could cost this institution

millions of dollars it doesn't have.

Do you understand?

Yeah.

Did we figure out what sparked this thing?

Hippies smoking weed near the campgrounds.

Legal in 30 states.

When we get down there, leave the firefighting to us.

Someone gets hurt, you treat them.

Otherwise, for the next 24 hours,

you stay close, remember your escape routes.

- Keep one foot in the black. - You've done this before.

I was a line medic for the Agoura Hotshots.

Then you've seen these.

Fire shelter.

In case we get caught in a burnover.

- Those things actually work? - Sometimes.

- Well, pupils look normal. -

How long has this been going on?

Uh, I've had stomach cramps for three days,

plus nausea, blood in my poop, and fever of 104.

- I would say ischemic colitis. - Wrong.

What? Let me see that?

- Okay, fine. You're right again. - Ha ha!

Why are you so worried about this test?

You can pass it in your sleep.

Because I want to stay board-certified for the next 10 years,

and because there's always a question that you never see coming.

- Challenge accepted. - Bring it on.

- We got incoming, Daddy. - Thanks, babe.

Is that another one from the wildfire?

Dr. Rorish, meet Bridget Kozelek,

28 years old, chainsaw injury to the upper shoulder.

Hotshot with the Forest Service. How are you feeling, Bridget?

I feel like I almost cut my arm off with a chainsaw.

Axillary artery laceration, but she just started having trouble breathing.

All right, let's get her center stage.

- Coming through, people. - Heads up. Watch your backs.

- Okay. Rail down. -

Okay, Bridget, your throat is swelling.

It's a delayed reaction from the burns.

We need to get ahead of it and put a breathing tube down your throat, okay?

Wait. You need to call my dad... Hank Kozelek.

- He's a captain, LAFD. - Okay.

- Got it. - I'm on it.

- Pushing RSI meds now. - Dr. Dixon, that is too slow.

She needed that five seconds ago. Let's go, let's go! Okay?

This fireman's peak pressures are too high.

See this thick burn on his chest wall?

It's constricting his lungs. What's your next move?

Cut under the muscle to release the tension so he can breathe?

You've got 30 seconds, tops. Let's go.

Come on.

Okay. Take a breath... and then take control.

Realize what you're doing wrong and adjust.

Keep going.

Sats are 60% and dropping.

I-I just can't get it. It keeps hitting the top of...

Dr. Avila, one shot. Let's go.

I see cords.

Look here?

- I'm in. - There you go.

Cuts are... complete.

Still no signs of chest rise.

Okay, pop him off the vent. Let's give him some manual breaths.

Faster, faster, faster, faster.

- There it is. - Good chest rise. It's working.

- He's breathing. - All right, prep him for the O.R.

It's Vista Verde School, urgent about your daughter.

Go ahead. Hello?

Okay. Is... Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Get him up to the OR. I'll be there in a few.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS, MONITORS BEEPING]

Bravo crew's suppressing a spot fire

1/2 mile east of here. Guys, let's pick up the pace.

Hold up.

What is it?

- - Guys, hear that?

Do you hear that?

Caleb!

- Caleb! - Hey!

Caleb!

Hey!

What are you doing here? This area's supposed to be evacuated.

I need help. I need help.

- Let me look at this arm. - No, I need to find him.

Find who?

My boy. Please. He's still out there.

We have to find him.

Caleb!

Left arm has bruising and swelling,

possible fracture. Distally and neurovascularly intact.

I have to find Caleb.

I know you're upset, but right now I need you to calm down.

- He's 6 years old. - See the guy over there?

He's on the phone with Search and Rescue.

We're doing everything we can do.

How'd you guys get separated, anyway?

- We were camping off-trail. - Off-trail? With a 6-year-old?

The second we saw smoke, we headed downhill.

The decline was steep. I fell. I hit my head.

When I woke up, Caleb was gone.

This was supposed to be my chance to make up

for missing his birthday again.

It's my dumb luck this fire broke out

the weekend I brought Caleb here.

Probably didn't help it was the peak of fire season.

I'm not exactly Mr. Outdoors, all right?

Okay, he probably went for help.

All right, so Cal Fire is dispatching a chopper to comb the area.

Wait, with this visibility? All they'll see is smoke.

She's right. That kid won't survive unless we put somebody on foot.

Well, I can call in a couple of my guys,

- break off a short squad. - I'm coming with you. Aah!

Whoa, whoa. Can you walk on that leg?

It's just a sprain. You're gonna need me.

I can show you where we got separated. Caleb!

- - Magazine?

Hey, do you have anything with actual words?

These are just photos of people famous for doing nothing.

Oh, let me see what I can do.

Yeah, years from now, your generation will be known

as the one that killed journalism.

Hey, man, I get it. Magazines were different

in your days before

- the invention of the camera. -

- Oh, no, you again. - Dr. Stoval, nice to see you, too.

We ran some tests. Your hemoglobin count is low.

I'm tired all the time, bruise easily,

and my bone marrow isn't making healthy blood cells anymore.

- An intern could make the call. - It's Myelodysplasia.

- It's a type of blood cancer. - See what I mean?

I'm helping Leanne study for her recertification.

So I'm just gonna go stand over there.

That's a good idea.