The First Responder

- When you find yourself in crisis,

what is your first response?

Who is the first one you call?

- Unit 240, we got a code three.

A 10-year-old male in psychiatric distress, self-harming.

Apartment's on the third floor of a walk-up

on Broadway and Main.

**

- Please, please, please, Finn, stop.

Finn, stop!

Please, please, stop, stop, stop, stop.

- Mr. Kemp? I'm Katie. This is Max.

Are you hurt? Fill us in.

- No, no, no, no. I was trying to bandage my son Finn.

He was playing, and he broke this vase and cut himself.

And when I tried to take a look,

he locked himself in the bathroom.

The head banging, it's common with autism.

But I don't know what to do. I've tried everything.

- I'll grab a stair chair and irons from the brig.

Yeah.

Hey, Finn? I'm a paramedic.

It sounds like you're hurt. Can I come in and take a look?

- He's gonna knock himself out or cause permanent damage.

- Finn, please, please, please stop.

Finn, you have to stop. Please.

- That's a nice set of Camaros you got.

I drive a pretty good rig.

It's a Chevy, too.

**

Is he unconscious?

**

Ah!

Sorry, buddy.

Restraints of protocol. It's required by the law.

Hey, Max?

Can you tell the dad to meet us at Barnes General?

I can take it from here. - Sure.

Yeah. Thanks.

Hey. Hey, hey, hey.

So I know these straps are uncomfy and a little scary,

but think of this ambulance as a roller coaster.

And these straps are like seat belts

but for your hands.

They keep us both safe while we ride.

Ready? Yeah?

**

Want to know what kind of rig were in?

You were wrong earlier.

It's not a Chevy, but that's okay.

It's a Ford F-350.

- Okay, hotshot. Name as many Chevy models as you can. Go.

- Blazer. Camaro. Corvette. Coupe.

Bolt. Malibu. - Bro, Van,

where'd you get those shoes? - They were a gift, okay?

- No. They fire, man. Can I try them on?

- Heads up. - What you got for us, Katie?

- Dang, Finn, you must be a big deal.

You got Dr. Wolf and his whole team

out here waiting for you.

Promise not to have too much fun without me?

- Can't promise anything. But I can try.

That's all I ask for.

Uh, 10-year-old autistic male Finn Kemp.

A and O times four, vitals stable,

bilateral lacerations on him, uh,

because of, uh, broken glass, head injury from head banging.

- Everything okay, Katie? - Oh, yeah. Just a headache.

Blame it on the coffee

or the-- the six back-to-back morning shifts.

- Unit 240. - Copy.

Always a pleasure, Dr. Wolf.

Take care of Finn for me. I gotta run.

6-year-old female...

**

So a few bad burns, uh,

staph infection, and a sprained ankle all in the last year.

- We've got quite the injury history.

Are you Johnny Knoxville or something?

No, I'm Finn Kemp.

- Kids his age, they're always bumping into things

and tripping over each other.

I'm a single dad, so staying on top of things can be hard, huh?

Earlier this year, he had this really bad splinter

for the whole day before I noticed and took it out.

So those sorts of things can happen.

But today was the worst.

- Can you point to the face which shows

how much pain you're in?

Which one do you feel like?

- Yeah, naming feelings isn't really easy for him.

We understand, Mr. Kemp.

Autism is a spectrum. It affects everyone differently.

Uh, Dr. Kinney and Dr. Markus will run some tests

to rule out any neurological complications,

but upon first assessment, Finn seems relatively unscathed.

- Thank you, doctors. Right, Finn?

Thank you. Thank you.

- 10-year-old patient repeatedly bangs his head

against the wall?

Do we know if self-harm is a pattern?

- Well, the jury's still out, but as of now,

he's just an accident-prone kid. How are you holding up?

What did the police say about your car?

I haven't reported it yet.

Suspicion isn't the same as fact.

What am I going to say?

That I think-- can't prove-- that my patient,

who's also my husband's mistress,

destroyed my car because I said I wouldn't see her anymore?

My car is one thing.

If the whole truth comes out, it could destroy my career.

Maybe I ended things with her too abruptly.

- What does Morris say about all this?

- I haven't told him yet. Without proof,

sharing her information would breach HIPAA since he knows her.

- Okay, the same can be said of me, then.

Is that the real reason, or is that just a convenient excuse?

- The moment I say anything to him,

it'll open a whole can of worms.

He'll think I've lost my mind for continuing to see her.

No. For now, the doorman's been briefed.

I'm picking Maya up right after school.

This isn't my first rodeo. It's under control.

Remember that patient who followed me home?

Carol, protect yourself.

I hear you.

Don't worry.

I'm taking this seriously, I promise.

**

- Stop! - Hold still for me there, Finn.

Can you just-- - S-Should we call for backup?

See if Jacob's around? - We need Jacob for this?

- Or Dana anyway. - You said Jacob.

- You said Jacob. - See? Even our buddy Finn heard you.

- You're reading into it more than you should.

But let's table this for now and focus on our patient.

- Oh. Sorry, bud. I was distracting the talent. That was my bad.

- No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. - It's okay, it's okay.

- No, no, no, no, no, no. - It's okay. Hey, how about this?

Look. While I fix your I.V.,

you can push as many buttons as you want.

You want to try it?

**

All right, Finn, let's try the other arm, yeah?

**

Wait, you didn't feel that?

- Feel what? - The I.V.? Finn's pain?

No.

**

- Tired of me yet? We're a bit short staffed today.

- 40s, male, Jim Lang, A and O times four,

uh, found unconscious.

- Uh, how long was he unconscious?

Reportedly under two minutes.

He didn't want to come in, but his wife insisted.

We got another call, but he can fill you in on the rest.

Katie! Katie!

Is she breathing?

Hey, can you get someone help now, please?

- Katie! Katie! - Nurse! Prep a crash cart!

We need a set of vitals.

- Well, you know the drill, Katie.

Rate your pain 1 through 10. - 2.

- Okay, while admirable and useful in the field,

stoicism is no good here.

- I'm fine. I didn't eat before work.

Mix hypoglycemia with sleep deprivation

and a splash of dehydration,

you get a syncope cocktail. It's a rookie mistake.

- Well, that's a fair self-diagnosis,

except for the fact that I noticed your winces

were more pronounced this morning.

- Why are you tracking my winces?

Uh, I'm not tracking them.

But you may have heard that I have difficulty

recognizing faces, so I hone in on features or expressions,

or in your case, winces.

So that's enough to admit me?

- I have a sense there's something else going on here.

In our field, it's very easy to neglect your own needs

because you are so busy taking care of other people.

But let us take care of you,

just this once, to make sure there's nothing else going on.

- Can I at least get some of those ice chips

and those PB cups you give your favorite patients while I wait?

I will even throw in

a chocolate chip cookie.

In the meantime, Dana will get a CBC,

CMP, and CT-- the basics-- and I'll check back.

Mm.

Uh, what are you doing?

- God, he was so sweet and earnest,

didn't have the heart to tell him I was leaving.

I cleared the concussion checklist.

I'm not staying for your CT scan.

- And then die of an epidural hematoma?

That's not happening on my watch.

- I know you're just doing your due diligence.

I'm good. I know what a really bad fall looks like.