Jin didn't leave the hospital room until he had provided all the necessary information to the animal control workers and then coaxed the other hybrid back to sleep with the promise that he'd return the next day.

"How'd it go?" Hoseok asked when Jin exited the room to join him on the bench in the hallway.

Jin only frowned. "Dogfighting. He was owned by dogfighters."

Hoseok sighed. "I know, they told me on their way out. Poor kid."

"You'll still talk to Yoongi and Namjoon about him, right?" Jin asked hopefully. "He was born into it, he's never had a real family before," he added for sympathy points. Hoseok smiled and pat Jin on the head. "I said I would. We'll talk later tonight. Are you ready to go now?"

The next time the young hybrid awoke in the hospital, it was to the sound of the door closing behind a nurse who had just entered. He immediately found himself wishing for Jin, but soon chastised himself for the childish thought. He'd lived through a lot without a single companion, and getting one has made him awfully soft. Any potential master would beat that out of him; it's better he harden himself first.

"Good evening," the nurse greeted. "How are you feeling?"

The hybrid didn't answer, only looked at her. To be fair, his throat was hurting a bit so he wasn't too keen on answering anyway.

The woman cleared and approached the bed anyway. "Your doctor took a second look at your x-rays. I'm going to start you on an antibiotic, okay? He suspects pneumonia. It's nothing to be afriad of, just take this when it's given to you and you should be back to normal in no time."

She handed him a tiny little clear cup full of nasty-looking liquid that had him grimacing. Jin's words echoed in the back of his head, however. 'I promise that everyone there is going to be working hard to get you feeling better.' He took a deep breath and accepted the medicine, drinking it diligently and hiding his disgusted face at the taste. If anyone were to ask him later how he felt about the proud smile he received in return from the nurse afterwards, he would deny his heart fluttering for all its' worth.

"Good boy," she grinned, patting the hair between his ears momentarily. He had to practically will his tail to stay still. "Now, I have someone here to see you. I hope they can help you come to terms with some things that happened this morning."

His brain was reeling, not quite sure who would be here to see him. Jin said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow...

And while he wasn't in the best condition, he knew that smell. He knew who entered without even having to look up. "Duke," he gasped, his head snapping up to see the pitbull hybrid enter.

He'd won that match by a fluke. The older was more experienced than him by far- a legend, even. Everyone knew who Duke was. He'd been dreading this match for months, his master had been training him to take on the reigning champion and when the moment finally came, he could hardly muster the courage to step into the cage. He'd expected to be killed in that cage; he'd heard of all the terrible things Duke pulled to win. No one knew why that match was any different.

After beating Duke, no one heard of him again. He assumed the other had been kicked out by his master for losing to someone so much younger and less experienced, and then died out in the cold.

All of this transpired about one year prior, and he still couldn't find it in himself to forget about Duke altogether.

"Hey kid," the older responded, stepping inside the hospital room followed by a human as the nurse stood off to the side. The closer he got to the bed, the faster the heart rate monitor beeped. What was he to expect? The guy disappeared for a whole year and now here he is, ready to take his revenge, right?

The nurse was right there to place a reassuring hand to his shoulder, but it only served to make him feel glued to his place.

"I'm not here to hurt you," the older said, standing still where he was and not taking a single step closer. "I'm just here to talk to you. I- I know exactly how you're feeling right now. You're... You're scared, aren't you? Confused and threatened?"

The younger couldn't help the whimper that escaped his throat. He wasn't prepared for this encounter.

"That's okay. I was there once. In that bed. I was found and brought in here, and I couldn't be more thankful for that now. I promise I won't hurt you. Will you let me come closer?"

Duke looked different. The hardened look on his face had softened out in the year away. He was wearing clean clothes, just like the kind Jin had given to him, except these fit him properly. His hair was groomed and he looked... happier. There was still that characteristic look of sadness in his eyes that the younger knew all too well, but it was vague. Faded.

The older took his silence as permission to approach, and sat himself in the chair beside the bed, being sure to leave plenty of space between the two. The mysterious human and the nurse hadn't moved a muscle, simply observing the staredown between the two hybrids.

"My name isn't Duke anymore. It hasn't been for almost a whole year. After I was abandoned, I had wandered around, injured and sick, when Jiyong found me." He gestured back to the human by th