Alec couldn't deny it -- it hurt. But he let Sparkle do what he needed to do, and he waited. He didn't know if he could heal in this place like normal, so he didn't want to risk it by waiting too long, but he gave it a minute or two and hoped Sparkle would be able to stop on his own.

And then it was enough, so he gave a soft whimper and said firmly, "Sparkle."