Mike, his mother, and Earley meet with attorney Andrew Kersey, who agrees to represent Mike in court. Earley finds comfort in Kersey’s confidence that he can get Mike’s felonies reduced to misdemeanors if he agrees to plead guilty. This would also ensure that Mike could remain in his day treatment program. On the morning of Mike’s arraignment, Earley is surprised to see the owners of the house he broke into at the court hearing. Kersey tells Earley that the plea deal is now off the table and that the homeowners want Mike in jail or a hospital. After much last-minute scrambling, the judge grants a three-month continuance, which buys the defense enough time to come to a deal that everyone might agree upon. When exiting the courthouse, Mike grabs at a smoker’s smoke rings as they float by, not realizing that he can’t touch them. Earley fears what the outcome of the case will mean for Mike’s future.

Earley returns to Miami and learns that Judge Leifman has arranged for him to go on a ride-along with a member of Miami’s CIT named Officer Mario Garcia. While on patrol in the rain, Earley learns how the police are required to handle interactions with unhoused individuals.