Michael couldn't help but smile a rather light, continuous smile. It was like something had changed. When he'd been younger, trapped, he'd begun praying to anyone for something to break other than his bones. It had happened when the police finally found him, but after that, he'd felt that was the end. But now something else had broken---a kindness had found him again. Even if Sasha couldn't do quite as much as he might promise or feel, it was more than enough already. More than what he could have anticipated after the first month of being here.

He glanced sideways. "I... usually just eat whatever they bring me. One of my doctors told me that they'd put together a specific meal plan for me to get back strength and get back into foods that are harder to eat and digest. Er, I... don't need help regarding that, by the way... I just behave as if I'm paralyzed..." Touching his legs did put pressure on the metal hugging his bones, but it didn't force his nerves to process the desire for his muscles to contract and release, sending even worse pain into reacting. As long as his wheelchair was right there he could manually pull his legs to the side and then transfer himself into his chair by his arms. They, at least, had grown very strong in his time kidnapped. Since they only let him have a wheelchair or similar during transports upstairs, he would usually drag himself when his legs were compromised, not only after they had done their disgusting experiment.

"I don't mind when you leave." Michael said after a time, going back to his work on the front legs of the horse. "Just... Just tell me... beforehand. So I don't worry." He'd not have admitted it before, but when he was left alone for hours at a time he began to fear he'd been forgotten. Or lost. Or abandoned. That feeling had always come when his captors locked him in his cage for a long time.