Missing Scene From "Under The Knife"

Hospital Corridor:

Rick's heart lept into his throat and threatened to choke him with fear as he half ran down the long hallway to the room his brother was supposed to be in. AJ's message kept playing in his mind, over and over again, adding to his fear...turning it to panic.

"Rick, so before I can go I have to fill out some papers, I'm not sure what's taking them so long... What's that?" Thean a thud as his brother's body hit the floor. Rick couldn't stop the worried thoughts flying around in his brain, was AJ alive? Had they killed him? Were they torturing him somewhere? Was he screaming out his name, wondering why his big brother wasn't there to save him...?

Finally, the door to room 314. Rick threw it open and stalked in, his face still covered in camoflauging paint. The young nurse inside gave a cry of fear as the tall man entered. She hugged a pillowcase to her chest and nervously blurted out, "Visiting hours are over..."

Rick looked around the room, there was no sign of a struggle, but the nurse had been tidying up when he had entered. No blood. "Where's my brother?" He asked tersely, still scanning the room for clues.

The nurse squeaked, "I, I don't know...he checked out..."

Rick spotted a familier objest on the floor, he stalked forward and picked it up, "You don't know my brother, he wouldn't leave without this." And with that Rick left the room and headed for the nurses station, the young nurse at his heels. He whirled to face her, "Where is his chart?!"

"It...it's not here...he's checked out!" she said in protest.

Rick threw up his hands, he had to find his little brother, "Then where is Doctor Tyler?"

"In the OR," the girl replied and then she raced to try and block Rick's path as he started for the operating theatre. He wasn't sure which way to go though so he spun to face her, "Where is the OR?" He yelled. She yelled back something about how he couldn't go in the OR but Rick heard none of it, he strode away down the hall. The nurse looked at the orderly behind the desk and asked him to call security.

Rick could see the double swinging doors of the operating room ahead of him, he broke into a run and was hit from behind. Suddenly a man had him in an armlock around his chest but Rick was far too worried and angry to care, he threw the man off as you would an annoying insect and strode into the OR. The doctor stood there, a scalpel poised over his brother's back! Without a word the Doctor fled. Rick followed. He was younger and in far better shape than the overweight Doctor and caught him quickly. With a rage he had never felt before Rick began dragging the corrupt man backwards towards the OR, an arm thrown around his throat should he try and escape. "Being a Doctor, you should know what happens to a man when his neck snaps...My brother had better be ok!" Rick hissed in the doctor's ear.

The Doctor gurgled out, "He's ok, he's ok," as he was forced back into the room where a second earlier he had been prepared to take the youngest Simon's life. Rick shoved him down onto the floor and tied his hands with some nearby surgical tubing. Then he turned to his brother, still motionless on the table. He glanced around and to his horror saw an IV labeled, Penicillin, beside the table. AJ had nearly died from an allergic reaction to Penicillin as a child. His face drained of blood, Rick stepped over beside the table and reached for AJ's wrist. To his relief he felt a pulse, he turned to the attending nurse, "How much Penicillin did you give him?!" He moved threateningly towards her.

"None!" She shrank back in fear as Rick loomed over her. "I promise you, none entered his system!"

"What'd you use to knock him out?"

"Chloroform!"

Rick nodded and went back to his brother's side, gently he rolled him over onto his back and propped his head with his jacket. "And you're sure he's ok?"

The nurse nodded and took a tenative step forward, "I...I never should have gone along with the doctor but...I couldn't let him die. I pulled out the IV before it reached him." She hung her head, "I would have never been able to forgive myself if he had died..."

Rick lowered his gaze and breathed a sigh of relief...this one had been too close! A slight moan from his brother drew his attention back. He sat on the edge of the table and placed a hand on AJ's arm. "Hey there, you awake?" He smiled as his brothere's eyes opened. "There you are, how are you feeling?"

AJ blinked several times and then started as he fully came to. Rick held him still, "Hey, it's OK, you're OK. Calm down, I'm here."

AJ settled at the sound of his brother's voice and his eyes focused on Rick's face, he smiled faintly, "What took you so long?"

Rick grinned behind his mustache, "Stopped for a swim first," he said, referring to his dip in the swamp.

AJ laughed, "Just like you to goof off when I'm in trouble."

Rick smiled then grasped AJ's hand tightly in his, his smile fading, "I was almost too late on this one..." His voice trailed off.

AJ gripped his brother's hand comfortingly, "But you weren't, you're here, I'm OK, You're OK...everything worked out. Besides...I knew you'd come for me."

Rick bowed his head and a tear slipped down his cheek, "Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear me?"

AJ smiled broadly, "Yes, Sir." He snapped off a salute.

Rick grinned and pulled AJ into a hug. Once again the brothers had survived.

THE END