Chicago Fire season 13, episode 20 opened with a big reveal. Kidd and Severide got a call with a potential baby to adopt. Would they become parents by the end of the episode?
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Chicago Fire season 13, episode 20.
While Stellaride faced a rushed interview process with a mom in labor, Herrmann needed to deal with an auditor in the firehouse. It was a packed episode that promised a mixture of emotions. Just how would it all turn out?
Stellaride interview at the hospital in Chicago Fire season 13, episode 20
Herrmann was great at the start of the episode, making it clear that you never feel ready to be parents. That’s certainly the truth! It doesn’t matter that Stellaride don’t have everything ready for a new baby. They’ll figure it out; they always do.
That is if they get to take their baby home at the end of the episode. It turns out that the expectant mom decided weeks earlier that she wanted to give her baby up for adoption and had picked Severide and Kidd from the booklets. However, she hadn’t been through the entire process because she thought she had time, and as Dr. Asher from Chicago Med explained, Mother Nature had other plans.
However, it wasn’t a guarantee, as she still needed to meet with Stellaride and decide if they were the people she wanted to be parents to her child. She could still choose someone else.
Herrmann deals with an audit in the firehouse in Chicago Fire
At the same time, Herrmann found himself understaffed and dealing with an audit. Just one of them wouldn’t be too bad, but both at the same time without Chief Pascal around was a bit much. He would need to deal with it.
This guy was only in to make sure the firehouse operates efficiently, and he was going around other firehouses. It turns out the department is looking for ways to save money, and things are looking dicey when Damon learns that the guy managed to get one of Firehouse 28's trucks decommissioned.
The auditor goes on the first call with them, making notes as Herrmann gives all his commands and Firehouse 51 gets to work. It's not an overly tricky case with a man trapped in a vent, but Herrmann is naturally concerned with being watched and timed.
Something the auditor wants to understand is why Herrmann changed the plan during the call when Truck was already on the way. Backup plans are essential as a first responder, but the auditor views it as redundancy. Maybe an auditor should also be a first responder.
Stellaride get some surprising and potentially devastating news
As the expectant mom gets more contractions, Dr. Asher comes in to check on her. This is when the truth starts to come out. The mom was going through withdrawals from opioids, and the last time she used was two days earlier. What does this mean for the baby, and what does it mean for Stellaride?
Asher goes through everything that it could mean, including what withdrawals look like in babies and the potential life-long health issues. Kidd is quick to want to look after this baby, but it's clear Severide is having second thoughts due to the extra work. It's naturally to feel these mixed emotions. It turns out that Severide is just making sure they are in this together, because they do have a good track record for curveballs being thrown their way.
Well, it turns out that Jade, the mom, wants them to raise her baby, and Stellaride is there for this job. That's when Stella explains about her previous drug problem and getting through recovery, but the conversation can't continue as Jade gets another contraction and says that she thinks her water broke. It's not water, but blood, and Asher needs to perform an emergency c-section as Jade is suffering from a placental abruption.
As Jade's dad gets to the hospital, it looks like everything is going to take a turn. Her dad is surprised but not completely shocked to learn that Jade is giving her baby up, focusing on how he tried to help her deal with her drug addiction but failed.
Things take a turn during the c-section. While the baby is born and is well, Jade starts to bleed out and then needs to be switched to general anesthetic as her blood pressure drops. Stella is the one to tell Jade's dad about the procedure, which I do feel is out of line, but at the same time, there was nobody else to give him that update.
Hermmann gets Cindy in on the search for baby items in Chicago Fire
For once, the comedic storyline was more heartfelt than just used for comedic relief. Herrmann decides to get Cindy involved in finding baby items, seeing if she has anything from their previous babies. Well, Cindy doesn't, but she does come down to show everyone the "buy or give away" groups in the area, helping to get items for much less than normal.
The focus remains on the auditor, though, leading to the firehoues running drills. After all this, the auditor comes looking for aspirin (which isn't in the budget so Ritter offers him some of his own), and then notes that the guy should probably take off his jacket because of how flushed he looks. What's the betting that Firehouse 51 will need to save this guy from heat stroke?
The auditor clearly isn't doing that well. He joins the guys on a trip out. Of course, the firefighters are actually looking at getting a car seat for Stellaride, so Herrmann makes up an issue with Engine's engine to pull over at the side of the road. It's after all this that the auditor collapses, and sure enough, he has heat exhaustion.
Thanks to Firehouse 51 saving him, the auditor was able to get everything he needed. While he says that Firehouse 51 passed the audit, the CFD is going to be making cuts. Herrmann and Mouch are in trouble due to their age, despite being some of the best firefighters. This auditor does not know Herrmann and Mouch, but he's not wrong when it comes to ageism in the workplace.
Do Stellaride get to take their baby home in Chicago Fire?
The end of the episode brought us the moment we'd waited all episode for. The answer of whether the two would take their baby home. As Asher confirms that the baby boy has tested positive for opioids, two people from the hospital come to get the baby to take him away for more tests. They can't talk to Stella or Severide as the paperwork hasn't been finalized just yet.
However, Stella knows that something isn't right. What has happened in between the baby being born and those initial tests?
As you could have probably guessed, once the dad turned up, Jade changed her mind about the adoption. Her dad would take guardianship of the baby while Jade went through rehab. Naturally, Stella was angry and upset, but this is the nature of the adoption process. It's actually not the loss of the baby that upsets Stella. She's worried that Jade's dad said or did something to force Jade to change her mind, which is a natural concern. I think we're all thinking it.
Asher confirms that it was Jade's decision in the end. She held the baby once and changed her mind on the adoption, and some of that may have been from Stella's words about her own life. Jade did have a note for Stella and Severide, though, thanking Stella for holding her hand. It's a rough start to the adoption journey, but Stellaride can get through this together.
It's heartbreaking that all the baby stuff is now no longer needed, but it's not going anywhere just yet. Cruz has a great idea: it can be stored in the storage unit until Stellaride do get their baby. Because they will get their baby, right? I'm still hoping for them to adopt Natalie.
Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.