He smiled in return, but the expression fell from his lips when he heard of the other man's long captivity, and the way his family treated him. Sasha's face crisped up as he tried to hold back an angry outburst he knew would just upset Michael more. He forced himself to breathe, to calm down, and let his hands relax in his lap. "That's no excuse. They should be here, they should visit! They're your family." Sasha sighed and shook his head.

Maybe he was taking his job too seriously.

"I'm sorry, it just seems unfair that they refuse to visit you for something you can't help." Sasha lifted his eyes. "Seven years?" What an eternity! How had Michael survived? He was a living miracle, and yet he wanted to die so badly. If only Sasha could come up with something for Michael to live for, some cause, anything.