Colt sat hunched over at the short island bar top of his kitchen while Stitch stayed in the room with Sage for a long while. Looking up slightly when he finally came out.

"I think he'll be okay but you need to keep a close eye on him still. More seizures might happen so be warned but mostly he just needs rest. Build up his strength again."

"If he stops lying and fucking tells us the truth none of this would have happened."

Colt blamed Sage for what happened to him like it was something the boy could have controlled. His father knew better than to pawn him off as he had on him. He wasn't cut out for this mushy nurse a pup back to health bullshit.

Stitch shaking his head at him, "You being you isn't helping either and I'm not going to act like I didn't see those fresh bruises on his wrist or the swollen knuckles." 

Colt jumping up from his seat, "The little shit came at me with a fucking knife in the middle of the night."

Stitch arched an eyebrow at him, "And you couldn't take it from him without some form of a violent act." Nodding his head like yeah okay then.

"Try cutting the anger in your voice and stop being so broody and maybe he'll come to trust you a little. Acting just like the alpha's he's used to being around isn't going to win you anything with him."

Colt snarled as he was compared to the type of alpha's he was raised never to be. Even without them knowing any of his stories they knew enough to put two and two together. He was nothing like them, angry and with a bad temper sure but that was his default setting. Rough around the edges to outsiders and worry of change but a wild animal that used his power and status to take anything and everything he wanted by force he was not.

Stitch tossed up his hand, backing down, feeling that his point was made. Colt needed to work on being nicer to the boy if he wanted to get anything from him.

"Same as before, the two medications, fluids, and feed him. Call me if anything changes."

He cleaned up the broken glass after Stitch left then went to check on Sage who appeared to be sleeping so he didn't bother him. Sure something in his bedroom would break if he had another episode. The things his father and Stitch said to him played over in his mind as he worked on cooking something for the two of them to eat. He wasn't a professional by any means but he made do. All the important events were cooked and taken care of by the women in their pack. Aware that in some packs alpha's weren't expected to cook anything for themselves.

"Hey." Spoke Colt leaning into his bedroom, "If you're feeling up to it I made something to eat. I don't mind you eating on the sofa but you're not eating in my bed."

It was worse enough he was already laying in it. Sage didn't get up right away for many reasons but mostly because he wasn't sure he could handle eating at the moment or that he could trust anything given to him by Colt. Even with the empty pit that was his stomach. 

The smell of the food hitting his nose causes his stomach to growl and demand to be fed. Shifting slowly to the edge feet nowhere near touching the floor as he slung his legs over having to hop down slightly. Wincing to himself at the pain that soared through his body.

Colt had a plate already made for him sitting on the counter top, motioning to it when Sage emerged from the bedroom. He was already eating his at the island; chuck roast, garlic red-skinned potatoes, with a side of carrots.

"You lost knife privileges so a fork is all you get."

The sight of the food caused Sage's mouth to water, he hadn't had real food since he could remember. Scraps were all he ever got. Maybe something sweet like a piece of chocolate when he pleased his Master. Eyeing the food for a long moment just standing there mind unable to stop itself from wondering what the catch might be? Really wondering what the catch was to all of this, kindness.

"Eat, before I change my mind." Colt, motioning to the plate once again.

Sage was timid in his movements as he picked up the plate from the counter, moving over to the sofa where Colt must have known he would go because there was another glass of water and two more pills to take.

"One is for withdrawals and the other is an antibiotic." Commented Colt finishing off the last bit of his food dropping the plate into the sink. 

"Eat. Take the meds and go back to sleep."

His tone yet again was an order, not a suggestion which Sage nodded his head that he understood. That was pretty much how the next week went between the two of them.

Colt didn't leave his apartment keeping a close eye on Sage as he withdrew from whatever it was that he was on, he had Stitch come by to check on him a few more times before they put him in the clear for not having another seizure. They had to up his medication once his fever spiked back up and didn't want to come down. 

Sage in constant pain; not that pain was a new concept for him but he's never gone through withdrawal before. Broken out in a cold sweat, head pounded like a double bass drum, shaking so terribly that he could't eat because he couldn't hold a fork steady enough and Colt wasn't about to hand feed him. During the times he could hold steady he didn't have an appetite to eat, his stomach in knots, vomiting. Slowing his overall recovery.

Day six he started to feel a bit better. His headache gone so he was able to think more clearly which in his case wasn't a good thing. All the questions he thought of scaring him. Colt asked for more information as the days went by but he didn't give anything up. He's been tested before by his Master, feeling that this was somehow the ultimate test from him and he didn't want to fail or mess up any more than he already had. Fear of being killed pushing him to do better, he didn't have the best life but at least he had one.

Colt asked but didn't give much of himself at all either. Thinking heavily on what Stitch told him about being nicer, reminding him of that with every visit. When day seven came around Colt was past stir crazy in his own apartment he needed out for at least a few hours. A break from being a full-time babysitter, thankfully his father wanted an update in person with Sage.

"Put these on, we're going out." Colt tossing a pair of clothes at Sage.

Nothing special, just a good but worn pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, and a button-down flannel. Something Stitch brought over on his last visit thinking they would fit him a lot better than the over sized tee-shirts of his. Sage was still very weak and a bit shaky but got himself changed.

Eyeing himself in the mirror in the bathroom for a long moment, hands running over the front of the jeans and shirt. It had been years since he wore something that covered him this much. Not sure how he felt about it. His Master always had him in something skimpy and revealing, working his assets as he liked to call it.

"Thanks." Mumbled Sage on the way out of the bathroom.

"Thank Stitch when you see him next." Commented Colt, just as cold as ever, grabbing the keys to his truck.

Stopping at the door of his apartment, "When I open this door or at any point today while you're out you better not try and run or cause some scene and piss me off."

Colt wasn't trying to be overly harsh with him but he wasn't about to let the boy think he can just run for it like he was the first night they crossed paths. The two of them weren't happy with the arrangement but that didn't mean they needed to make it any worse for themselves either.