A/N: Thank you for the review amacma! I agree: springing Jack into action is always a great start!

They'd split off towards the back of the house, with Tony showing no restraint in killing the people who were holding her. He'd only stalled with one of them, ensuring that Michelle was actually there. As soon as he mentioned that he was 'just following orders' with a sneer, Tony was sure they were in the right place.

Jack tried the handle of a door, finding it locked. He could faintly hear talking from the inside.

"Tell me. I need to know what the code is." An unfamiliar, gruff voice said.

Another voice whimpered in response, quietly pleading 'no'.

Shouldering the door open, Jack entered the dark and dilapidated room. The word 'cell' immediately seemed more appropriate as he saw how small it was.

His eyes widened at the sight of someone towering over who he hoped to God wasn't, but deep down knew, had to be Michelle. She was doing everything in her power to kick and push him off of her. Just as Jack went to draw his gun, the figure suddenly yelled in pain before moving back, his hand coming to his face. He stumbled, turning around to face Jack. The man's right eye was bleeding profusely, and Jack didn't hesitate to shoot him in the head, eliciting a scream from Michelle. As he fell to the floor, a pang struck Jack's chest when he saw her huddled in the corner, shaking, the man's blood splattered on her skin.

He moved towards her as fast as he could. "Oh God, Michelle…" He breathed.

Her hair was falling out, she was frail, and her gaze was flitting wildly. She was moving so much she couldn't look at him properly. He could hear how fast and shallow her breathing was and see her chest rise and fall rapidly. Upon closer inspection, the blood wasn't just from her attacker. He could also see bruises and puckered scars all over her body. He was tentative in touching her, barely grazing her elbow with his fingers. His hand moved to her shoulders, gently pivoting her to face him.

She flinched, and Jack felt something sharp prick his skin. Her bony, bloody hand was tightly clenching a stained scalpel, now further darkened by his blood. Michelle kept it held out, creating distance between them. When he met her teary eyes, her expression was so bleak, so blank. It was no different to how Audrey looked when Cheng had brought her to the motel all those hours ago. She didn't seem to react to him, even as he continued to say her name, who she was, and who he was. He heard her mutter something under her breath but couldn't comprehend it.

Rather than yell and startle Michelle further, Jack grabbed his phone and dialled Tony's number.

"Did you find her?"

"Yes, but Tony… Tony, she needs you."

Tony felt a pit in his stomach at hearing the worry in Jack's voice. He traced his steps frantically, bolting back to the fork in the hallway and finding the busted-down door.

"Michelle?" He called.

She perked up at the sound of his voice straight away, sniffling and mewling. Michelle was unable to form words but still irrevocably conveyed recognition. Her voice still sounded confused, as though she couldn't understand how he was there.

He took no time in running to her side. "Jesus, sweetheart…" Tony hissed, almost too afraid to touch her without hurting her further but needing to hold her and communicate that he was there with every fibre of his being.

But Jack noticed that she didn't even seem to completely register that it was Tony, not even when he was right in front of her, evident by her holding the scalpel out again. Tony immediately backed away, the blade narrowly missing his arm.

"Michelle, it's me…" He looked so bewildered, so upset at her reaction.

Michelle shook her head rapidly.

His face fell. He continued to babble her name, tell her who he was, that it was safe now and he was there to help her, but to no avail. She seemed to be in denial as if it couldn't possibly be true, keeping the scalpel held out.

"Sweetheart, I'm real. It's okay." He whispered, tears welling at the corners of his eyes as he realised that whatever he thought they'd done to her was no match for reality. "I'm here now."

Her hands started to tremble, and her eyes widened as she listened to his voice. The scalpel dropped beside her, and she let out a cry of relief as her hands flung around his neck, grabbing at him urgently. But it wasn't until her fingertips reached his face and mapped his features out that the sounds coming from her mouth sounded like his name. That she knew with more conviction who he was.

It all seemed to click in Jack's head. Why the gunshot had scared her so much, why she couldn't focus, why it hadn't been until she touched Tony that she reacted fully, why even then, her eyes couldn't meet his.

"Oh my God… Tony, she can't see you."

"What?" He whipped his head around, some of the blood from Michelle's hands having left red, finger-shaped marks on his face.

"Her eyes aren't focusing on anything. That's why she didn't know it was you or me." Jack gulped. "I think whatever they did… it blinded her."

Frantically, he pivoted her head towards him, realising there was a cloudy film over both of her eyes. The brown iris of one eye was broken. He couldn't tell if the other side was the same, given that it was swollen shut from bruising. "Michelle... you can't see me?"

Her lip pursed, and she shook her head.

He let out a sob and pulled her tightly to his body, burying his face in her hair. She, too, broke down, and the more she tried to speak, the more overwhelmed she became. Being in Tony's embrace had snapped her out of the fearful state she'd been in. She was just in too much shock to be able to do anything right now except let him hold her. And Jack just prayed that would be enough. If she knew it was Tony with her and felt safe with him, then she was already more lucid than Audrey had been.

Tony looked up at him. "Get her help. Please." He whispered.

"Tony, she needs a hospital-"

"No." He shook his head, holding her even tighter. "No hospital. They could still be after us."

"I can call Chloe and get her to bring a doctor to us." Jack offered, despite knowing that was exactly what had turned everything into turmoil for Tony and Michelle last time. But there was nobody else to call who wasn't connected to CTU.

Thankfully, Tony seemed to understand this because he passed him his phone.

"It's a burner. Keep it under a minute, and they won't be able to trace it."

Jack nodded and moved to the door, giving them some privacy.

"O'Brian."

"Are you still at CTU?"

"Yeah, why?"

He hesitated, realising that he still couldn't be sure if they were entirely safe in case a straggler of Logan's was lurking somewhere. "I need you to send a doctor to my location. Someone you trust. Not from CTU."

"What? I thought Audrey was fine."

Jack sighed. "I'm not with Audrey. This isn't about her. I can't explain this over the phone. Just send someone. We'll need stitches, some clean clothes…" Jack again looked over at Michelle, now realising she was clenching to keep her legs closed. He lowered his voice. "Female doctor if you can."

"Okay… I can... I can send my GP. She's not far from CTU. I-I'll go with Morris, and we'll take her to you." Her voice took a worried tone. "What's going on, Jack?"

"You'll understand once you get here."