5 questions about Gabriela Dawson leaving Chicago Fire

3. How will Brett fare as Paramedic in Charge?

Gabriela Dawson’s spot on Ambulance 61 will have to be filled in Chicago Fire season 7; that’s a fact. Brett can’t ride around in the ambulance by herself, and she certainly can’t treat a patient and drive the ambulance to the hospital either (although that would be awesome).

The presumption is that Brett will replace Dawson as Paramedic in Charge. That’s the only thing that really makes sense; Brett has tenure, and it’d be a slap in the face to her (and the fans) if she was passed over for the lead role by a new character, even if it was somebody we love. Brett’s been here, so she should be first in line for the promotion.

But is Sylvie Brett actually equipped to be Paramedic in Charge? Just because she should get the role doesn’t mean she’s cut out for it. Another thing “The Grand Gesture” highlighted is how much Brett still has to learn; she’s pretty wide-eyed and emotional. Which was a good thing in writing them together—you want your two partners to each bring something different to the ambulance or it’s not interesting—but it’s not great when Brett will have to stand on her own.

Brett wears her heart on her sleeve, and she’s prone to freaking out; her whole story in the Chicago Fire season 6 finale was about her being traumatized by a patient’s death to the point where she erupted at Dawson for one moment of criticism and then broke down crying in her car later. The traumatized part is understandable, but she really lost it. And that wasn’t the first time she melted down either.

As Paramedic in Charge, she won’t have the room to lose it; she’s going to have to be, well, in charge. When she was second to Dawson; she could step away and let Dawson handle it; she can’t do that now, especially if her new partner is some new arrival who needs training and direction. We know Brett means well and gives it her all, but will she be able to hold it together under even more pressure? Can she be the leader that Dawson was? There’s only one way to find out.