Relationships and incest plot Writers formed a friendship between Michelle and shy receptionist
Ruth Pearce (
Selina Chilton). Under Michelle's guidance, she helps Ruth to gain confidence and she eventually comes out of her shell. Ruth suffers from mental illness and has a mental breakdown, but Michelle cannot accept the fact she is ill. Bailey enjoyed the dramatic element of the storyline since she felt it would be boring if the storyline was smooth. She admitted that Michelle could have handled the situation better, but due to the death of her father and Ruth betraying as a result of her mental state, she felt Michelle's reaction was justified. Bailey explained: "She was overwhelmed by her own emotions, her own grief, her father dying, everything. She'd hit breaking point and was at her lowest ebb." Bailey hoped that the storyline would evoke a strong reaction from viewers. Bailey described Louis as "everything Michelle has ever wanted, and more! He's fantastic - he's sexy, he's funny, he's full of banter, and he really, really loves her". It was a hard decision for her to make since she had enjoyed her time on the series, was close friends with her co-stars and had no future work booked, but she wanted to take a risk. Writers had Michelle approach the age of 30 and used this as a catalyst to make her question her future. The character shifts over to Housman ward, working to rehabilitate soldiers returning from Afghanistan which makes her see that there is "more to nursing than lancing boils and dishing out condoms to students". When she starts on Housman, she is overwhelmed by the scary and daunting cases she sees. However, Michelle begins to love her time there and comes to the realisation that the soldiers risking their lives for their country cannot "compare to a row in the Mill staffroom over who ate the last biscuit". Bailey cited the career change as something that made Michelle grow up and become more mature. Michelle eventually decides to leave for Afghanistan to be more involved with the military aspect of nursing. Bailey had been cast on the soap just after finishing drama school, so she felt that she wanted to discover other opportunities and related to the exit storyline given to Michelle. She also revealed to the
Birmingham Mail that as part of her research for the storyline, she visited the real-life ward for the military at
Selly Oak Hospital. She described the storyline as one of the best pieces of material that she had received in her time on the soap and praised the arc for showing the "more grown-up and selfless" to her character. Bailey felt it brought the development of the character to a full circle, since it showcased her "core element" – being a good nurse who cares about her patients. She praised the soap for representing the soldiers and remarked that they should have been highlighted on the soap before that point. She said: "I think it's great that we've done so now. I know that the producer had wanted to for a while. Of course we had to handle it delicately and sensitively, and I definitely think that we did. But I don't think we're making any bold statements on the war or anything like that - I think we're just highlighting the fantastic quality of the nursing staff in the military". Bailey described her final scenes as emotionally raw and joked that she did not require a tear stick for the episode since the tears she cried were real. She was sad to leave her cast members, who she felt had become her "family". After she had exited, Bailey thanked the fans of
Doctors for supporting her and the show during her tenure. She also praised the writers for the material had been given. She told
Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly: "I can only think of my time on
Doctors fondly. I've been really lucky to have been given such great storylines constantly. I've never been bored." ==Reception==