This is a missing scene for the episode Slither. I actually did some research on Angel Dust before writing this. Angel Dust was first used for PCP. A.J.'s reaction to the drug indicated a large overdose, not just a recreational amount of the drug. I felt this warranted some exploration as to what that night might have been like for A.J. and for Rick.

Disclaimer – Not my characters or show and I don't get paid. Also, I don't have a beta. While I am serious about my love for fanfic, I am not serious about writing. I expect that I have many grammatical errors. I don't mind you pointing it out but please no flames. This is my first attempt at writing. Please be nice. Oh and I try to put the thought in italics.

"Call an ambulance!"

"I just choked out my brother! How could I do that? What if I hurt him? Is he still breathing?" Rick's thoughts raced in panic. "If I am going to help him I have to calm down enough to think."

Rick rolled out from under the unconscious A.J. to check his breathing and sighed in relief.

"I need some help here!" Rick called out, realizing that if A.J. came to that he would need help holding him down. "Did someone call that ambulance? We also need the police; don't touch anything on our table, there may be evidence."

"Sir, I called an ambulance," the manager called out as he came out of the kitchen door. "What else can I do?"

"Just sit here by his feet" Rick replied "I think he was slipped some drugs and if he comes to I want to try to restrain him without hurting him."

Now that he had taken the necessary steps to get help for A.J. Rick's panic started to return. Rick propped A.J.'s upper body in his arms, using his arms to hold down A.J.'s. "Is that my heart I feel racing or A.J.'s?"

Just as A.J. started to stir the paramedics came into the diner with a stretcher.

"Sir, you are going to have to let go" Rick reluctantly gave up his position on the floor with A.J. and began answering their questions. "No, nothing to eat, he just had coffee, I think he was slipped something. He has never had mental problems before." He watched the paramedics out of the corner of his eye as they took A.J's vitals and strapped him into the stretcher.

"Rick, what is going on here?" demanded Brown as his walked into the diner.

"I don't have time to explain, I have to go with A.J." Rick replied

"I'll take you to the hospital in the squad car as soon as you tell me what happened. Rick, I need to know so we can process this scene." Brown said compassionately.

"Sir, we have to go now, your brother's blood pressure and heart rate are rising. It would be better if you came to the hospital in another vehicle." Interrupted one of the paramedics as they wheeled A.J. out the door

"Two minutes Town, that is all you get. Ask away!" Rick said impatiently

"Just give me a quick summary of what you think happened here, Rick"

"Here is the short version, we found the runaway, she was coming down off of something, we brought her here for coffee and…" Rick stopped as he heard screaming coming from outside the diner. A.J. had woken up and was fighting the straps as he was loaded in the ambulance. "Town, I have to go now!"

"Rick, just finish, I know this is hard, we will be right behind them."

"We were talking and A.J. just freaked out. He was hallucinating. He was so afraid of me Town, that he grabbed a plastic knife and tried to stab me. I had to choke him out." Rick's voice broke as he finished.

"Just one more question, Rick." Town said softly. "Nixon is here and I need him to process the scene. We need to know where you were sitting so we can check for prints and test the contents of his coffee."

Rick just pointed and walked out of the diner.

Town looked at Nixon, "Clear this place out but, check everyone's I.D. first. Make sure you take extra time with the staff. Don't miss anything."

"You got it Lieutenant." Nixon replied "Tell Rick we are pulling for A.J. Please let us know what is happening as soon as you can."

Rick was silent as Town caught up to him at his squad car. He turned on the siren and lights to speed their trip to the hospital.

"Rick? Hey, Rick! Look at me man! A.J. will be fine. He got help right away." Rick just nodded slowly as he continued to look out the window.

Rick was out the door before Town had a chance to fully stop at the E.R. entrance. He ran to the desk. "A.J. Simon, my brother, where is he, can I see him, how is he?" Rick fired off the questions in a panic.

"Please slow down for a minute sir," replied the nurse behind the desk. "Is your brother the young man that just came in as a possible drug overdose?" Rick just nodded. "The doctor asked to see you as soon as you arrived. Follow me and I will let him know that you are here."

Rick followed the nurse down the hall to the trauma rooms. "Please wait here." She motioned to a chair next to a door as she entered that room. Rick sat down and rested his head in his hands.

"Mr. Simon?" Rick looked up to an outstretched hand; He reached up and shook it as he stood. "Rick" he replied.

"Rick, I am Doctor O'Daly, I have some questions for you. I know this is difficult and I am sorry that I don't have much to tell you at this time. Your brother was conscious in the ambulance but, is currently unconscious. We are trying to determine what happened so we know how to treat him. Anything you can tell me would help us to help him. How sure are you that A.J. was drugged and not having another problem?"

"100%" replied Rick

"We don't know if it would help to pump his stomach. When was the last time he ate?"

"He ate a piece of toast early this morning" Rick replied "He just had coffee at the diner. I assume that is how he ingested the drugs"

"How long ago do you think he finished the coffee?"

Rick looked at his watch, surprised at how little time had passed when it seemed to be moving in slow motion. "About 20 minutes, I guess"

"OK, so no stomach pump. His stomach has emptied by now. Do you know what he was given and can you describe his reaction"

Rick tried to remain emotionally detached as he thought back to the diner. Was A.J. drinking the coffee while he was telling the story or had he already finished it? Missing details wouldn't help A.J. "No, but I imagine it was a common street drug of some sort. He started hallucinating right away after drinking the coffee. It quickly turned to fear and violence. He tried to stab me with a plastic knife. I had to choke him out so he wouldn't hurt himself or anyone else." Exhausted by the effort of retelling the event, Rick collapsed back into the chair.

"I am waiting on some blood test results. I suspect your brother received a very large dose of PCP." Explained the doctor. "If we can wait, we don't want to give him too much medication before we are certain what we are dealing with. I already have him on.."

They were interrupted by a nurse, "Doctor, he is waking up."

Rick followed the doctor into the room, hoping he wouldn't be evicted. He bent over at the waist and put his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He had been frightened before, but thought surely he had been overeating to a very stressful situation. What he saw told him otherwise. It seemed that every part of A.J. was being monitored. There were leads from his chest, arms and legs to a cardiac monitor, a blood pressure cuff, an oxygen sensor and leads from his head to what Rick could only assume was a machine monitoring his brain. While he wasn't surprised by the restraints, it was still difficult to see A.J. tied down to the bed.

Rick attempted to drown out the other noises in the room and focus on A.J.'s face. "A.J. come on back buddy. Wake up and talk to me." A.J.'s eyes opened but, didn't he seem to be able to focus. "Mom, get Rick out of my room" he mumbled. "A.J. hey, Mom's not here, we aren't in your room." "Rick, go away or I'll get dad."

Rick looked at the doctor with concern but the doctor was watching the monitors as they began to sound the alarm at A.J's rising heart rate and blood pressure. Rick looked back at A.J. face in time to see his eye's roll back as his body became rigid. "He's seizing again" yelled the doctor. "Get him out of this room."

Rick froze in place "Again"he thought. The nurse grabbed his arm and ushered him out of the room with a request that he return to the waiting room. "Sure, I am staying right here lady, try and stop me."He sat in the chair hoping to go unnoticed as he tried to listen to what was going on in the room.

"Where are those blood results?"

"Put him on a dextrose solution."

"Dilantin"

"Valium"

More alarms went off as Rick covered his ears, not wanting to hear anymore.

"Get the crash cart!"

"He is going into respiratory arrest!"