Official Summary: PreSeason 5. After several ailments, Tony decides to take Michelle to the doctor's. Set to Evanescene's Breathe No More.

Rating: K Plus

Status: COMPLETE! 08-09-08

A/N: Whether you know or not, it has been rumored that Carlos Bernard is returning to 24 for Season 7. However, the producers of 24 can't get Reiko Aylesworth. Well, I don't know if they can't or if they want to, but producer Howard Gordon has been rumored to have said that, "Michelle is definitely six feet under". Now I came up with, to justify in my own mind, Michelle's death put in a better light. It would just make me feel better about the supposed not return of Reiko Aylesworth to 24. This is a threeshot.

Breathe No More

"Damn it!" Michelle reached for yet another tissue. Her nose had started bleeding for the fifth time that day.

"Something wrong?" A voice asked in the doorway. She could almost hear the smirk in his voice, but she looked up anyway, glaring at him frustratedly.

"Yes, my nose is bleeding again." She growled.

"Again?" Tony asked, his voice thick with concern. "Michelle this is like the fifth time today. Are you sure you're okay? Yesterday, your nose was bleeding too."

"Tony, I'm just stressed out." She murmured, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. When she opened them again, Tony was sitting next to her, stroking her cheek gently.

"Your face is burning." He murmured gently.

She sniffled thickly, suppressing a sob and holding the tissue against her nose, "I told you, I'm just stressed out."

"Then it's settled." Tony declared. "You and I are taking the rest of the day off. I'm taking you to the doctor. Just to make sure it's only a stress related thing and not something more serious."

"Like pregnancy?" Michelle half joked. Once, a few months ago, Michelle had thought she was pregnant. She had taken the test, but it turned out she was not pregnant. Ever since then, Tony took every little ailment as a sign of pregnancy.

"Perhaps." Tony said after a moment or two of silence. Michelle smiled at him, tiredly.

"No Tony." She said, nearly growling at him. "I'm just tired and worn out."

"Aww, poor baby." Cooed Tony, moving his chair closer to Michelle's and brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "This is why I'm taking you to the doctor. I'm tired of persuading you it's okay to take a few days off of work. So we'll let her persuade you to take a few days off."

"Wait, you mean Catalina?" Michelle asked, turning to her husband with a disbelieving look on her face.

"Yes. The doctor she is working as an intern for is at a medical clinic in London for the week. And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he your regular doctor?" Tony said, trying his hardest not to smile.

"No Tony, I don't need to go to the doctor's office." Michelle said.

"Michelle, it's what's best for you."

"Tony, I'm fine. I just need to rest. It's Friday. I can rest over the weekend."

"Michelle, it's either going to be a few days now, or a week or two later when whatever it is you have gets much worse!" Tony exclaimed.

"Tony, you're just worried for my sake. I'm fine." Michelle responded. Her voice wavered slightly. "I'm just tired. With all these production meetings and everyone suddenly deciding to quit."

Tony wordlessly brought Michelle into a hug. "It's all right. But even so, I'd just like to make sure that it's only stress causing all these nosebleeds."

"With the nosebleeds . . . it reminds me of the Chandler Plaza." Michelle choked on the words.

"Exactly. That's why I want you to see the doctor's. I just want to make sure it's only stress induced. And I've decided we're going to the doctor's office."

Michelle grimaced. She hated the doctor's office. Tony's eldest niece, Catalina, was working in LA for a doctor. It wasn't like she didn't like Catalina. She often treated Catalina as her own daughter. But the fact that this could be something really serious bothered Michelle.

"I know you don't like the doctor sweetheart." Tony said. "But it's for your own good."

"All right." Michelle sighed.

Tony picked up the phone and dialed the phone to the doctor's office. "Hello? Yes, this is Tony Almeida. I'd like to schedule an appointment for my wife Michelle Dessler."

"What are her symptoms?" The receptionist asked.

"Frequent nosebleeds." Responded Tony.

"When do you want this appointment?"

"As soon as you can get it." Tony answered.

"Today at four sound okay Mr. Almeida?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes, that sounds good. Thank you very much. Good bye." Tony said, hanging up the phone. "Four o'clock today Michelle." He said, kissing her temple.

"Four o'clock," She agreed, frowning slightly. Michelle Dessler was afraid of only two things. Losing Tony, and the doctor's office. Today, she would have to deal with her second fear.

I've been looking in the mirror for so long.
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.
All the little pieces falling, shatter.
Shards of me,
Too sharp to put back together.
Too small to matter,
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.
If I try to touch her,
And I bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe no more.