Ashes

rear view mirror

Carter, Shay, Gabby, Otis and Herrmann look up at the graffiti artist and the tag he'd created on a billboard.

"Zito, big-time tagger" otis explains, "yeah, yeah, yeah, I've seen his name around" shay muses, "he's hit every L train, bus stop, and mailbox in Chicago" otis explains, "you president of his fan club?" herrmann asks as the three women walk away to the ambulance, "girls night?" carter asks the two paramedics, shay turns to gabby who shrugs before turning back to carter, "we'll let you know, but it'll probably be a yes" gabby nods.

Carter stands in the window watching with kelly as the truck pulls back in from their call frowning when casey is nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Casey?" kelly asks as herrmann heads past the two squad lieutenants shrugging, carter heads towards bodens office, "chief" carter greets as kelly heads in behind her the two sit down to listen to boden, "I'm not taking any more chances" boden says, "he's doing the right thing, he's getting his ass kicked for it" kelly defends, "you don't think I know that" boden retorts, "then he needs to be here where we can keep an eye on him. that's my best friend out there I'm worried about him" carter argues, "Carter, Kelly, I tried that already" boden says, "so he's better off out there by himself, pissed off, not thinking straight" kelly argues, "this is a firehouse, not some of the time, not for some of the calls, any man and any woman who walks through that door, he or she gotta be ready, If he or she isn't, he's or she's gonna be walking in the other direction, cause I am a Chief first and I am a friend second, Casey's just gonna have to find his own way from now on" boden explains leaving the two lieutenants speechless, in the evening squad sit around their table the two lieutenants sitting next to each other as the group play a card game to pass the time, "I'm hitting the rack, boys and girl" tony announces, "yeah, cause you're getting buried" hadley teases, kelly and carter watch as Casey heads towards the firehouse, "uh-oh" hadley remarks, "no, all good" kelly corrects, "how do you know?" hadley questions, "that's an I'm with the program kind of walk" kelly explains as casey heads towards bodens office, "he's not here for trouble. I know it" carter defends.

Just as the crew start their next shift the alarm goes off.

"Truck 81, engine 51, squad three, ambulance 61, building fire, Indiana and 28th Place" the alarm announces sending the crew running, squad search the building for tenants when the radio's go off, "Squad three, check out the West Side fire stairwell" boden instructs, "already on three with strand, must be a blockage, Capp and Hadley have the east" kelly says, "I'm sending you Casey, Cruz, and Mills, we need to check out those upper floors" boden radios, "you're kidding me!" carter announces as they come face to face with a blockage, "Strand, Severide!" casey shouts, "hey, we're clearing a path" kelly shouts back, "hey, is there anybody back there?, hey" carter shouts, "they can't breathe, It's pitch black in there, there's people in the hall" a woman explains, "If you're mobile, keep walking, slow and steady, there's paramedics waiting" kelly instructs as the tenants file out, "hey, I'll take this" kelly nods, "I'm going up further" matt says, "okay" kelly says watching the truck team head for the next set of stairs, kelly scans the room with the thermal imaging camera watching as it beeps, "got at least four reds heading to triage" kelly says as the two lieutenants help more tenants escape the building taking them down to triage, "there's three more up on six" carter reveals, "any burns?" gabby asks, "not on six, but Casey, Cruz, and Mills went higher" kelly explains as the two join the rest of the crews in watching on as the fire rages, "east corner unit, move that ladder now!" boden instructs, "eight is a reach" cruz explains, "no choice, get that ladder as close as you can, hug the building if you have to, capp and I will climb" kelly instructs cruz, the crew watch on in horror as a blast knocks casey under the ladder and severide pulls him back on with a struggle.

The crew gather at mills' family restaurant for gabbys suspension party, the 3 roommates sitting in a booth together.

"Just ask him" kelly begs, "you" shay retorts, "he'll think I'm sniffing around" kelly explains, "how do you think I'm gonna come across or Carter?" shay asks, "hmm?" carter questions perking up at the sound of her name, "here he comes" kelly says, "he thinks I'm a curmudgeon" shay defends, "would you just do it for me?" kelly pleads, "Peter Mills" shay calls out as the young man walks by, "hey, lieutenants" mills greets, "what's up?" kelly greets, "great party, thank you for hosting it" shay says, "yeah, no sweat" mills says, "and it's a really cool space, and what kind of food do you guys serve?" shay asks, "well, its a diner, so diner food" mills shrugs, "oh, hey, um, is your sister Elise here tonight?" shay asks, "no, she's out with some friends" mills explains, "oh, all right" shay nods allowing mills to leave, carter slides out the booth, "I think I'm gonna head home and get some sleep. Maybe try and call my mom and work out a time for me to visit her or vice versa" carter says turning on her heel to leave.

Two updates in one day because I appreciate y'all so much!♡