"No."
Tony cast a sideways glance at his friend. "What do you mean no?"
Michelle met his gaze. "I won't let you lie for me. I did what I thought was right. I still believe that."
Tony nodded selfish as it was he was grateful to have her beside him. A moment later he felt her hand wrap around his. In response Tony intertwined his fingers with
hers and squeezed her hand.
Michelle was a very strong beautiful woman. Tony hoped that once this mess was resolved he'd be able to truly show her how much he cared.
Michelle felt Tony squeeze her hand and smiled. At least one good thing had come out of this awful day. She closed her eyes and tried to
ease some of the tension in her back by shifting position. As she did Michelle felt her head start to swim. Her eyes flew open and Michelle saw the room spin before
her. Michelle gripped the edge of the table with her free hand and tightened her grip on Tony's hand with the other. She was just dizzy that was all, it'd pass in a
moment.
Tony felt her grip change and looked over. He was alarmed to see all the color had vanished from her face. "Hey, you okay?"
Michelle's hand fell away from his as her body started to teeter off the table.
"Michelle!"Tony shouted as he scurried forward to catch her before she hit the floor.
With her body secure in his arms Tony gently lowered Michelle to the floor.
Tony anxiously felt for a pulse and found a weak thready one. He gently tapped Michelle's right cheek to see if he could get her to regain
conscienceness. "Hey, Michelle.....can you hear me?"
Only silence answered him.
Tony rose to a squatting position. "Michelle.....honey.....please talk to me."
Michelle didn't stir so Tony ran to the door as fast as his injured ankle would allow and pounded on the door.
"We need a medic in here now!"Tony yelled gaining the security guard's attention.
"What happened?"The guard asked as he entered the room.
"She collasped."Tony explained worriedly. "She was fine one minute and the next she collapsed."
The guard knelt next to Michelle and checked her pulse. When he confirmed Tony's story he took his radio out and hit the call button.
"We need a medic in interrogation room two."
Tony knelt on the other side of Michelle and took her hand in his. He had pushed her too hard that day. He'd leaned on her too much. He
should've kept her out of the Cyprus recording but he had needed somebody he trusted.
"Come on, Michelle, wake up."Tony pleaded softly. This day from hell couldn't end like this. He couldn't lose her....not now. She was the
one good thing in his life. He had to have the chance to tell her that.
The medics arrived and gently shoved Tony and the guard out of the way. They picked Michelle up and gingerly placed her on a stretcher.
"Her pulse has stabilized, we can move her. "The medic reported a few minutes later and he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and
stood.
"Will she be okay?"Tony asked his voice near the breaking point.
The medic nodded. "She should make a full recovery. She has a severe case of dehydration and exhaustion."
Tony closed his eyes in relief sending off a silent prayer of thanks.
"What happened here?"Chappelle demanded as he entered the room.
"Prisoner collasped."The guard reported as two of the three medics began to walk Michelle out of the room.
Chappelle glanced at Tony before he walked toward the medic. "Is her condition real or a stunt?"
The medic nodded. "It's very real. She's severally dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion. She needs to be treated."
"Alright take her to the infirmary for twenty-four hours then bring her back."Chappelle ordered crisply.
The medic looked like he wanted to protest but nodded. "Yes, sir."
As Chappelle, the guard and the medic walked out of the room Tony caught up with Chappelle.
"Sir, I know I have no right to ask this but can I visit Michelle tomorrow?"
Chappelle paused in the doorway a sneer crossing his face. "You attacked and drugged me and you think I'm going to grant you
permission to sit by your girlfriend's bedside? You're more delusional than Bauer. You have no privileges, Almedia."
Tony winced as the door slammed shut in his face. Wearily Tony turned around and limped slowly back to the table and sat down on the
corner. His ankle was killing him, his head was throbbing and Tony felt like he could sleep for a month straight.
But none of that mattered right now.
All that mattered was that Michelle was going to be alright.
*********
Tony was asleep in his cell around mid morning the next day. The door opening to the hallway caused him to wake. He cracked open one
eye and was surprised to see a guard leading Michelle toward him.
Instantly on his feet Tony walked to the door of his cell and studied her. There were dark circles under Michelle's eyes, her skin was still
pale and her hair was slightly disheveled.
"Why aren't you still in the infirmary?"Tony asked worriedly as the guard walked her past his cell and unlocked the door to the next one.
"Chappelle released me early."Michelle replied tiredly as the guard opened the door and she stepped inside.
Tony's hand slammed into the metal bars. "He was supposed to give you twenty-four hours to recuperate."
Michelle gingerly sat on the cott that lined the cell wall next to Tony's cell. The guard locked the door to Michelle's cell and turned and walked back to the main door
of the hallway.
"Tony, I'm okay."
Tony glared at the guard before the reluctantly turned around and sat down on his cott. He reached through the bars and gently took her
hand in his.
"You sure you're okay?"Tony asked with concern.
Michelle smiled as she reached her free hand through the bars and tenderly brushed his dark hair off his forehead and back into place. "I'm tired and could use a six
month tropical vacation but I'm okay."
Tony met her gaze. "You scared me."he said softly.
"I'm sorry. Guess I should've eaten more than coffee."
"I'm serious when you collapsed on me I didn't know what to think....."
"I'm alright, Tony."Michelle assured him as she squeezed his hand.
Tony nodded as he reached up to gently caress her right cheek. "Michelle, I don't know what my feelings are for you yet but I know they run deep. You scared the
hell out of me last night and it made me realize how important you've become to me. I'm sorry for getting you
into this mess. I promise once it's resolved I will do everything I can to make it up to you."
"This isn't your fault, Tony."Michelle replied. "I walked into this knowing what I was getting into. I wanted to help Jack and President
Palmer. I also didn't want you to have to fight this alone."
Tony smiled. "I will get us out of this, I promise."
"I know."Michelle replied as she leaned back against the wall her eyes starting to drift close
Tony let go of her hand and moved toward the end of her cott. He reached in and picked up the thin gray blanket and gently pulled it up over Michelle.
"Get some sleep."Tony whispered tenderly.
Tony watched Michelle sleep for a moment before he laid down on his own cott and fell asleep.
Tony cast a sideways glance at his friend. "What do you mean no?"
Michelle met his gaze. "I won't let you lie for me. I did what I thought was right. I still believe that."
Tony nodded selfish as it was he was grateful to have her beside him. A moment later he felt her hand wrap around his. In response Tony intertwined his fingers with
hers and squeezed her hand.
Michelle was a very strong beautiful woman. Tony hoped that once this mess was resolved he'd be able to truly show her how much he cared.
Michelle felt Tony squeeze her hand and smiled. At least one good thing had come out of this awful day. She closed her eyes and tried to
ease some of the tension in her back by shifting position. As she did Michelle felt her head start to swim. Her eyes flew open and Michelle saw the room spin before
her. Michelle gripped the edge of the table with her free hand and tightened her grip on Tony's hand with the other. She was just dizzy that was all, it'd pass in a
moment.
Tony felt her grip change and looked over. He was alarmed to see all the color had vanished from her face. "Hey, you okay?"
Michelle's hand fell away from his as her body started to teeter off the table.
"Michelle!"Tony shouted as he scurried forward to catch her before she hit the floor.
With her body secure in his arms Tony gently lowered Michelle to the floor.
Tony anxiously felt for a pulse and found a weak thready one. He gently tapped Michelle's right cheek to see if he could get her to regain
conscienceness. "Hey, Michelle.....can you hear me?"
Only silence answered him.
Tony rose to a squatting position. "Michelle.....honey.....please talk to me."
Michelle didn't stir so Tony ran to the door as fast as his injured ankle would allow and pounded on the door.
"We need a medic in here now!"Tony yelled gaining the security guard's attention.
"What happened?"The guard asked as he entered the room.
"She collasped."Tony explained worriedly. "She was fine one minute and the next she collapsed."
The guard knelt next to Michelle and checked her pulse. When he confirmed Tony's story he took his radio out and hit the call button.
"We need a medic in interrogation room two."
Tony knelt on the other side of Michelle and took her hand in his. He had pushed her too hard that day. He'd leaned on her too much. He
should've kept her out of the Cyprus recording but he had needed somebody he trusted.
"Come on, Michelle, wake up."Tony pleaded softly. This day from hell couldn't end like this. He couldn't lose her....not now. She was the
one good thing in his life. He had to have the chance to tell her that.
The medics arrived and gently shoved Tony and the guard out of the way. They picked Michelle up and gingerly placed her on a stretcher.
"Her pulse has stabilized, we can move her. "The medic reported a few minutes later and he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and
stood.
"Will she be okay?"Tony asked his voice near the breaking point.
The medic nodded. "She should make a full recovery. She has a severe case of dehydration and exhaustion."
Tony closed his eyes in relief sending off a silent prayer of thanks.
"What happened here?"Chappelle demanded as he entered the room.
"Prisoner collasped."The guard reported as two of the three medics began to walk Michelle out of the room.
Chappelle glanced at Tony before he walked toward the medic. "Is her condition real or a stunt?"
The medic nodded. "It's very real. She's severally dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion. She needs to be treated."
"Alright take her to the infirmary for twenty-four hours then bring her back."Chappelle ordered crisply.
The medic looked like he wanted to protest but nodded. "Yes, sir."
As Chappelle, the guard and the medic walked out of the room Tony caught up with Chappelle.
"Sir, I know I have no right to ask this but can I visit Michelle tomorrow?"
Chappelle paused in the doorway a sneer crossing his face. "You attacked and drugged me and you think I'm going to grant you
permission to sit by your girlfriend's bedside? You're more delusional than Bauer. You have no privileges, Almedia."
Tony winced as the door slammed shut in his face. Wearily Tony turned around and limped slowly back to the table and sat down on the
corner. His ankle was killing him, his head was throbbing and Tony felt like he could sleep for a month straight.
But none of that mattered right now.
All that mattered was that Michelle was going to be alright.
*********
Tony was asleep in his cell around mid morning the next day. The door opening to the hallway caused him to wake. He cracked open one
eye and was surprised to see a guard leading Michelle toward him.
Instantly on his feet Tony walked to the door of his cell and studied her. There were dark circles under Michelle's eyes, her skin was still
pale and her hair was slightly disheveled.
"Why aren't you still in the infirmary?"Tony asked worriedly as the guard walked her past his cell and unlocked the door to the next one.
"Chappelle released me early."Michelle replied tiredly as the guard opened the door and she stepped inside.
Tony's hand slammed into the metal bars. "He was supposed to give you twenty-four hours to recuperate."
Michelle gingerly sat on the cott that lined the cell wall next to Tony's cell. The guard locked the door to Michelle's cell and turned and walked back to the main door
of the hallway.
"Tony, I'm okay."
Tony glared at the guard before the reluctantly turned around and sat down on his cott. He reached through the bars and gently took her
hand in his.
"You sure you're okay?"Tony asked with concern.
Michelle smiled as she reached her free hand through the bars and tenderly brushed his dark hair off his forehead and back into place. "I'm tired and could use a six
month tropical vacation but I'm okay."
Tony met her gaze. "You scared me."he said softly.
"I'm sorry. Guess I should've eaten more than coffee."
"I'm serious when you collapsed on me I didn't know what to think....."
"I'm alright, Tony."Michelle assured him as she squeezed his hand.
Tony nodded as he reached up to gently caress her right cheek. "Michelle, I don't know what my feelings are for you yet but I know they run deep. You scared the
hell out of me last night and it made me realize how important you've become to me. I'm sorry for getting you
into this mess. I promise once it's resolved I will do everything I can to make it up to you."
"This isn't your fault, Tony."Michelle replied. "I walked into this knowing what I was getting into. I wanted to help Jack and President
Palmer. I also didn't want you to have to fight this alone."
Tony smiled. "I will get us out of this, I promise."
"I know."Michelle replied as she leaned back against the wall her eyes starting to drift close
Tony let go of her hand and moved toward the end of her cott. He reached in and picked up the thin gray blanket and gently pulled it up over Michelle.
"Get some sleep."Tony whispered tenderly.
Tony watched Michelle sleep for a moment before he laid down on his own cott and fell asleep.