AN: So I'm back with more. It seems like people are responding to this pretty well so I've decided to make a few more prompts. There are about 4 more after this one, I'd added ages to all the chapters as well to keep you guys informed on how old they are.
Trigger Warning! This chapter contains descriptions of self harm and attempted suicide! Trigger Warning! (the parts in the story that this warning pertains has the PoV BOLDED and underlined. Skip those if you'd like to.)
"You made me feel again
Made me dance circles round the pieces of your heart
You made me feel again
After the last time didn't think that I could love.
Living by the sea
No one could set me free
Before you came to me
I was in the pretty darkness
Praying for the end."
-Blue Blood, Laurel
-Arry: Age 12, 1st person-
It was a snow day so we all stayed home. It was so fun to be out in the snow. Bran, Rickon and I were having a snowball fight. I was winning!
That was until I was dragged out of the backyard by my oldest brother, Jon. He started a whole new war!
We wrestled in the snow and I didn't dare let him win.
I didn't care if he was bigger than me!
Jon was the only one to never hold back on me. He knew that even though I was smaller than him that I was also tough.
All of my brother's knew I was a forced to be reckoned with, but Jon was the only one that reckoned.
He never called me 'Arya', he never said I was too girly, he never treated me like a girl.
Unlike like my sister and my mother.
"Arya!"
It was that damned woman again. Always calling me 'Arya'. She and my stupid older sister always called me that. My brother's knew better though, they knew I was 'Arry'.
They also knew how to have fun.
My mother came outside then and saw me and Jon tussling. She scowled. She never liked Jon, only because he was born to a woman my father didn't marry. She was a really snooty old hag. Always ruining my fun and trying to get me to dress like a girl.
She didn't even realize I was a boy!
I don't hate my mom, though. I just hate what she does and how she acts around me.
"You get inside, young lady!" She commanded of me.
Before I could even protest a snowball came flying through the air and hit her chest.
I was trying so hard not to laugh but I did.
"Rickon Stark!" Oh she was furious now.
I never seen my brother move so fast.
Behind her I could see even my sister was laughing.
I was then pulled into the house by my mother, apparently there was some big event going on later tonight. That only meant that she was going to force me into a damn dress.
Why couldn't she see that I'm a boy? Did she really want a second daughter that badly?
After the events of the night settled down and I was finally able to get out of the damn dress my mother put me in, I was going to bed. Before I went though I wanted to go downstairs to get something to eat. I snuck down the stairs and as I was passing by my father's study I noticed the door was open. Light spilled forth.
My mother and my father were inside talking.
"Ned, it's got to stop. Talk to her, she's acting like a boy."
They were talking about me.
I am a boy!
"Cat, she spends all her time with her brothers that's why. It'll pass once you get her and Sansa to do things together."
"I wish she would do things with her sister. But you know as well as I do that they aren't on the best of terms. There are some days were Arya does like being in the same room as Sansa and they act very civil. Then there are days like today where she refuses to think she's a girl and is mean to Sansa."
"I know, I know. We'll get her enrolled in the same Dance class that Sansa is in. We'll see if that helps. I'll sit down with her tomorrow and talk to her about this behavior as well."
I swear to never go to those dancing classes.
They can't turn me into so prissy little girl like Sansa.
-Gendry: Age 20, 3rd person-
"I had fun tonight, Gen." She kissed him lightly on the lips.
He broke away first, he was tired and didn't wish to let her come inside.
"Yeah, it was nice Willow. I'll see you at work. Gotta go get cleaned up and all that before bed."
She just smiled a sad smile and turned to leave.
"Love you Gen!"
He froze.
"You too Willow."
God how he hated it when she said that. It was so much easier when they were just friends. She made everything harder now that she told him she loved him. They'd been dating for a few months now, the dates being plain and normal. He could tell she wanted more though.
Willow wanted to know about who he really was. She wanted to know about his family. Everything, she wanted to know it all.
Gendry didn't want her to know. He didn't want anyone to get that close. He couldn't trust anyone.
That was proved the last time he fell in love. He knew it was a bad idea to like the most popular girl in school, especially when she pretended to like him, the social outcast. He liked the attention and she let him into her circle of friends. After she took his virginity though it turned. She spread horrible rumors about him. How he killed his mom, how he abused her and forced her into sex.
It wasn't just her and most of the school that rejected him then. It was all the staff and even his best mate, Hot Pie. He got expelled from the school.
All Gendry could think was how stupid he was for trusting those damn highborns.
He slammed his apartment door shut and walked past the kitchen. He went straight for the calender on his living room wall.
October 27
His mother's birthday. It was tomorrow.
He ran his hands through his hair and went to take a shower.
All day while he was at work he thought of her. Everyday he missed her, every day he would think about what she's missed. She died when he was only 16, due to severely untreated breast cancer.
Four years.
All the birthdays he spent alone.
All the ju jitsu matches she missed out on.
All the pain he went through in high school.
All the homework she could have helped him with.
He shook his head, he had to stop thinking about it. Else, he'd cry in front of all these people. He cleaned the last few tables then went back into the back to clean them. As soon as he saw the clock hit 3 pm he was readying himself to leave. He was hoping to get out of there before Willow's shift started.
Gendry wasn't so lucky.
"Hey you're getting out of here already? I thought you left at 4 today?"
"No, I asked for an hour earlier, I've got somewhere to be. I'd love to chat but I need to go"
He rushed past her and out through the back door. He didn't even care if she'd be upset.
It took him a few hours to get to her graveside. Flowers in hand.
"Happy birthday, mom. I brought your favorite flowers, Summer lilies and golden daffodils. They look just like the sunset."
He sat down with his back against the stone.
"I wanted you to know, I've thought about quitting my job. I want to do something more with my life."
He watched the sun as it began to set. The Autumn air swirling around him.
It was refreshing to sit out in the cool air looking out over the water.
"I think I might join the Night's Watch. I know, I know it might be hard and I might not like it. But it'd be a great honor and an even better job than the shit I'm currently doing."
He looped his arm around the grave, much like he would if it had been her shoulders.
"It's beautiful, mom. It's just like we used to watch. I hope that you can see it everyday."
After the sun was completely set beyond the water of the bay, he got up from his spot. Giving his mother one final goodbye.
"One day I'll be back, mom. I'll be dressed in all black with a woman by my side. You'd want to meet the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, she'll make you proud. I'll make you proud."
The next day he had off. He went straight to the recruitment office in River Row. It wasn't too far out from the Street of Steel but it was definitely a bus ride away.
When we walked in, there was only one man. He was dressed in the standard all black with medals adorning his uniform.
"Hello, Lad. Anything I can do ya for?"
There was no turning back now for Gendry.
"I'd like to enlist. I'm wasting my talent working as a busboy."
The man laughed.
"Indeed ya are! Look at those muscles on you. You'd do right fine work with us up at Fort Black. Name's Yoren, How old are ya boy?"
"I'm 20, sir. My name is Gendry Waters."
Gendry shook the older man's hand as he was gestured to sit down.
"Well, Gendry, you've got to fill out a few forms before we can just accept ya. Then once you're accepted through this paperwork, we'll have you take a basic knowledge test and get you to a doctor. Then we'll get your physical health."
Yoren pushed a small stack of papers toward him and gave him a pen.
Gendry looked through it, it all asked background information that was easy to provide.
"When was he born" May 20th
"Where he was born" Iron Gate General Hospital
"Schools he went to" Flea Bottom Elementary, Middle and High School.
"Education level" GED
"Where he currently works" Crossroads Diner
Etc, etc.
After he finished reading everything over carefully and answering the questions, he gave them all back to Yoren. The older man read over them and nodded his head.
"Very good, boy. Now once we look into all of this, you're goin into our system. From their the Lord Commander will look over your profile closely and see if you're a fit. I wouldn't be too worried though, we got plenty of misfits on the Wall. murderers, rapists, thieves and the sort. Any man who's able bodied to work, it put to work. Once at the Wall you'll go through a basic training."
"Basic training? Like how to kill people?"
"Well, it's basic for a reason. We're gonna teach you more than just pointing a gun at someone and shooting. You'll learn teamwork and discipline. Once you're done with all that though, we'll get to sorting you into a place. Either Ranger, Builder or Seward."
"What's that all mean?" He sat patiently, really interested in listening to more.
"A Ranger is someone who goes beyond the Wall to scout for threats. They defend the Wall with their lives and fight. Builders are men who build our towers, maintain them and also service our weapons. We've been making our own weaponry at Fort Black and The Shadow Tower. Then there are the Stewards, they're critical for maintaining the kitchens, barracks and training grounds. They see to all the business matters and tend to the commanding officers of the Night's Watch."
"Which are you?"
Yoren just laughed heartily again.
"I'm a retired Crow. I just recruit them now, I used to be a Ranger though. It was rewarding work."
Gendry wanted to be a Ranger. Though if he didn't get that chance he figured being a Builder would have been a good second option. He wouldn't like doing a stewards work. That would be even bigger waste of his talents.
He shook hands with Yoren once more and they said their goodbyes.
For once Gendry was looking forward to where his life was going.
-Arya: Age 15, 1st person-
He was gone.
The last words my father told me before he died were 'I love you, my little wolf'.
I couldn't handle this. I hated crying but I couldn't stop myself.
I was fracturing, breaking down and completely lost.
We all were.
Mother stopped eating properly.
Rob started drinking.
Sansa cried herself to sleep every night.
Bran barely came out of his room.
Rickon got into fights at school.
Jon left for the military.
But me? Oh no, I started to become numb.
After the funeral I stopped crying over what happened. I didn't cry when Jon left me either. He just left me his wolf pendant that he always wore. Didn't even say goodbye. Not that I wanted him to.
It was a short while after that, that I discovered an outlet for my frustration, anger, resentment and abandonment.
Cutting.
Then everything was starting to get better.
Mother was prescribed antidepressants and she stopped looking after us.
Robb went off to college in Riverrun.
Sansa stopped crying and began dating some guy.
Bran started to come out and even began to smile more.
Rickon came home with less bruises every day.
Then I began to put on my 'I'm okay too' mask. I'd get up each morning, relieve my stress, worries and fears. Shower and join my siblings for breakfast with a smile on my face. They never knew.
It was always cold up here in the northern part of Westeros. So, no one noticed my long sleeve shirts and hoodies. I never even wore shorts only long pants. I even locked the doors in the bathroom whenever I took my showers or used the toilet. I couldn't let Sansa walk in on me.
School though was a different matter. I started skipping gym class, I couldn't let girls in the locker room see me changing. I didn't care for my studies, slipped from A's to C's real fast. I never did the homework that's why. Never hung out with my friends, they silently understood that I couldn't handle them. However, I was disappointed that they didn't even care enough to try to comfort me. Stopped attending all of my after school activities. Monday/Thursday Dance Lessons? No, only reminded me of my father and how he begged me to go. Fencing with Syrio on Wednesdays? No, only reminded me of Jon and how we had so much fun.
What made it all worse, was that no one even noticed. My mom didn't care about what was happening and Sansa ignored me in school like she always did. I even noticed that Rickon was having the same problems and he was only in elementary school!
Dad was gone, Jon was gone, Robb was gone, mom was practically nonexistent, Sansa barely acknowledged me and Bran was absorbed in his studies. Rickon was too young for me to even vent to him. So that left no one to talk to. No one I could trust. No one that could listen.
I was just an outsider.
I was in the shower one morning, I had just finished marring my skin. I loved the feeling of the hot water stinging the fresh wounds. It was nearly as good as the act itself. I stepped out of the shower after I was done and began to dress. It was different this morning, as I normally don't dress in the bathroom. I wanted to do something with my hair for once. So, I was going to steal some of Sansa's hair product.
I started to put on my bra when I heard the door knob twist. It was open before I even had time to react. I was frozen. To my shock and horror, my sister was standing in the doorway staring straight at me. I could already tell what she was staring at. All of the scars and fresh marks on me were bright red against my pink skin. Her hands dropped her phone as they flew to her mouth. Her eyes were so wide and my heart was pounding.
"Arya! Oh my god!" She shrieked out.
She slowly began toward me as if I was about to dart out of the bathroom. I wanted to but I was more akin to a deer caught in the headlights. She stood over me inspecting every little detail she could see. I silently cursed her for being so much taller than me.
"You've been hurting yourself." It was not a question.
"Well no shit." I finally found my voice.
Her face went from shock to hurt to angry in a matter of seconds it felt like. Then before I knew it she was pulling me by my wrist into her room. I was stunned as she quickly pulled a large t-shirt over my head. I didn't know why, or what made me just stand there and let her do this to me.
As soon as she got the shirt on me and could see it was covering all of the necessary stuff, she was dragging me once more. Once I saw that her destination was our mother's room I began to struggle. She held me fiercely though, who knew Sansa would be strong?
The door was opened and the lights to my mother's room flipped on.
"Mom, you need to look at Arya!" She took me over to where our mother was sitting on her bed. Then once I was standing there, she went back to the door to lock it.
Mom just sat there looking me over. Her eyes began to water.
Sansa didn't just let my arms and thighs go noticed. No, she wanted mother to see everything. So, she lifted the shirt up and off as well. Now I stood before my mother in just my underwear and bra.
"My baby girl...what have you done to yourself…?" Mom reached out a hand to touch my arm.
I flinched away from her though.
"What give you the right to care? Either of you? It's been 3 months and you just now notice me?!"
I was in a fury.
"Arya you could have come to me." Sansa chimed in.
"You could have come to your sister or me. You didn't have to shoulder it all yourself."
"How could I mom? How?! You and Sansa both never gave me much attention before dad died so why would I expect you to give it after?" I said bitterly. "Dad and Jon were the only two people that cared about me. Now they're both gone!"
I was angry, I was upset, and most of all, I was heartbroken.
All I wanted to do was storm out of the room and go back into mine. I wanted to make all this go away. I wanted to cause even more harm. I was never good enough for my mom and sister. Never good enough for them to care about me.
"That's not true Arya…" Sansa said weakly.
"Arya, you're my daughter, I'll always care about you…" Mom said softly before looking to Sansa. "That's why I know what I'll do to help you."
Her next three words sent ice straight through me.
"Sansa, get the phone."
My eyes widened. Why did she need the phone? What was she going to do? Who was she going to call?
Sansa went over to the other side of mom's bed and pulled the phone off of the charger. She then went back to stand in front of the door.
Mom only dialed 3 numbers.
I raced over to the door. I didn't need to know what was going to come next. I just wanted to get out.
Sansa stopped me.
"Hello? Yes, I'd like to have an ambulance come to my home." No.
"It's 1495 Winter Road." No.
"My daughter has been hurting herself and she needs to be taken to the hospital." No!
I promised I wouldn't cry. I hated to cry.
I pleaded with Sansa to let me go but she held me in her arms.
My knees buckled from under me and I slid to the floor.
Sansa just held me while I cried into her shirt.
Everything went black while I sobbed.
-Gendry: Age 22, 3rd person-
He was receiving medals for his service. For his bravery, courage and honor. For saving his unit from the first rounds of attacks.
That was six months ago.
The weeks before the short 3 month war began he spent his time getting to know the unit he was now apart of.
His commanding officer was Beric Dondarrion. The group's medic was Thoros Myr. Then the rest of them were just soldiers like him. Tom Sevenstreams, who liked to sing. Lem Lemoncloak, who liked lemons and the color yellow far too much. Harwin Joseph, who had a strong northern accent. Edric Dayne, the youngest of the group. Anguy Archer, who was the best sharpshooter among them. Lommy Greenhands, who was the quiet one of the group.
Then there was Gendry, he was often referred to as the Bull.
These men became the family that he never had.
They trained together, slept together, ate together and practically breathed together. It made them confident in their ability to fight once they entered the field of battle.
The closest one to Gendry was the boy with curly blond hair, Lommy. The boy told him about his life. How he was forced into the service by his father, how he was hated by his mother for being a worthless in her eyes, and the only person who cared about him in his family was his little sister, a girl he calls weasel. He said that she was so heartbroken when he left. Gendry felt a strong protective streak now. He wanted to become the older brother that this boy never had. That he never had.
Then it all changed when the uprising started.
The people of the Forever Winterlands would rebel against the Wall. Long ago there was land disputes over the wall being built. They would war against the men of the Night's Watch. That much had never changed, but now with the wall nothing more than a shadow of it's former self. Over the years the Wall eroded away and they they were left to built a wall of metal and steel. This lead to even more outrage to the 'wildlings' or 'free folk'.
What was once arrows, swords and axes became guns, grenades and rockets. They evolved as we evolved. Thanks to the enemies our country had over seas. When the Queen of Mereen tried to wage war with us, she lost. So she started to fund the people of the far north.
It was a war they wanted, it was a war they got.
Gendry's unit was formed and only a month after, they were sent out on watch. Ranging beyond The Wall.
They weren't yet allowed beyond the Haunted Forest. So they camped just at it's edge. Marked by a massive white tree, with bleeding eyes.
Gendry couldn't look away at it when he first saw it. He'd always remember Beric's words of the tree.
"A wierwood tree. A face carved into it by the children of the forest. A symbol of the Old Gods, no one but the wealthy families of the North, the Brothers and these wildlings keep to them."
That night it was just Gendry and Lommy that stood watch. Both sharing stories to pass the time.
Suddenly the air felt stale. He could feel it, all the sounds of the night stopped as well. No owls, No howling wolves, nothing. Just silence. Gendry and Lommy set about shaking their brothers awake. But before everyone was fully alert they were on them.
The crow killers.
Shots rang out hitting some of the waking men. Gendry did all he could to get some of them out of there. Lem and Anguy gave return fire as the men were ordered to get to the gates. Tom pushed Gendry back to get Ned, but as he reached for the boy he felt someone push him down. When Gendry looked to whom it was all he saw was a body being riddled with holes.
As the body fell, only then did he see who it was. Lommy.
In a blind rage he grabbed the gun that rested against him and began to shoot. He didn't care who he killed, all he wanted was revenge. When he was out of bullets he saw who he killed.
It was a woman.
He froze before being pulled away by Beric.
He killed a woman.
Somehow it wasn't enough to justify her death. All he could see was someone died because of him.
After they were all safely back behind the Wall, then he was given time to properly grieve.
However he didn't stop there. He couldn't stop there. Despite the wishes of his unit to stay behind, he went out with them again. He ended up fighting four more minor battles. They had more men with them this time, they had more support.
With him this time was a junior commander. His name was Jon Snow. They shared a room together before all this happened but now they shared the battlefield together.
He was known as 'The Ghost' he was silent in most of his daily tasks and was efficient at using a rifle.
Jon was the only person he told about his dreams, the dreams of the dead people he's killed coming back to haunt him. Coming back with blue eyes and cold skin. They would kill everyone and tear their corpses apart.
Gendry didn't tell him about the hallucinations though.
By the time the small war concluded they had lost 34 men.
They buried, Lommy, Anguy, Beric and Lem. Four men from his unit died and the others wounded in some way. He even had a small thigh wound from a stray bullet. But he was lucky. He hated that feeling.
How lucky was he truly to lose so many of his friends… no his family.
-Mercy, 1st person-
I let her kick and scream.
I let her throw her fit.
However, I needed her to behave and to be calm. This wasn't going to hurt her, it was only going to save us.
Her mother stood vigilant by her side. She noticed the change that was made but she did not question it. I was settled down into a room as the rotund doctor and his tiny nurse came in.
"Hello, you must be little Arya Stark. My name is Doctor Tarly and this is my lovely nurse Gilly. We've heard that you've been a bit upset and have been… well… not taking it well."
"My name is not Arya."
"Arya! Now is not the time to do this foolishness. I'm sorry doctor, she's been doing this for several years now."
I looked to the woman. How dare she?
"I am not Arya, Catelyn. I am the puppetmaster. My name is Mercy and I will not be called a fool."
Her eyes widened at me, then when I looked to the doctor he also looked afraid.
"I… I'll be right back, I need to go speak to another doctor."
The fat man walked out. The nurse stayed though, she prepared to take my blood.
Cat would have never let her near.
Arry would be screaming and defending himself.
Nymeria would have been trying to run away.
I knew she was not going to hurt us though, I knew she was going to try to help. I wanted this.
Arya had let her life be taken down a terrible road, so I set up hints and clues. Her family was stupid though.
So instead I tried a more direct root. I made her choose a day when her sister woke up later, like her. Made her want to fix her hair nice. Then when she stepped in the shower, made sure she did not lock her sister's door. It was all carefully put into her mind from the beginning of this day. All my plan.
The doctor came back in this time, with two men in white coats and another doctor.
"Hello, Mrs. Stark. My name is Doctor Luwin and I'd like to take Arya, here, up to the psychiatric ward."
The two men came to me, they flanked my sides and walked me from the room. The woman trailing behind me with the doctor most like.
I would not be ashamed of this but the others might be.
Soon we would be treated with the utmost care.
-Gendry Age 23, 3rd person-
He was given an honorable discharge for his service to the Night's Watch.
Jon Snow, had given him a set of keys. The words spoken that day were warm and kind to Gendry.
"You should head to Winterfell, I have an apartment there that I don't use anymore. If you delivered a few gifts to my family, I'll let you have the place. It's small but cozy."
Gendry remembered thanking Jon and then he was on the next bus out of Fort Black's walls.
Winterfell was a large city. It was the biggest city in the North. Gendry didn't really like the cold though. The city itself never reached too far above the freezing point. It was always around 50 degrees. Though he heard that since this was Autumn it would obviously be colder. He often wondered what the Summer felt like.
Once he was in the city he hailed a cab, from there he told them the house number.
What he did not expect was the house would be huge.
This was the Stark Family Manor. The news of this place was big when Council member Eddard Stark died a few years ago. Jon had some connection to these people? Enough to call them family?
He hated this suddenly. He thought about how these people had everything so great, that they weren't even touched by what happened not but 50 miles from here. They didn't mourn the dead men that served their country. They didn't mourn the lost men who had no family or had no where else to go. These rich people didn't understand, sure they lost their father and husband, but they didn't understand the true loss of dead soldiers.
They didn't see men like Gendry as much more than just a pawn in their game of chess.
There was no one available to see him, so he just left the things with the maid. He was very grateful for that. He didn't want to have to dirty their nice floors and stain their pristine furniture with his presence.
He set about turning Jon's apartment into his own, slowly but not touching things that were in more secret places. Like under the bed, above the closet and inside drawers.
However things began to change and not for the best.
Memories and flashbacks to the events that occurred during the war plagued him. He drank to get rid of them but they only came back stronger when he was sober again. He did everything to forget his pain.
His life became one mess after another. No steady job, no woman in his life that he could keep, and no mercy from the thoughts.
He had lived while his friends and family died.
He couldn't take that fact.
When he woke up this morning he did some digging. Under the bed, in a small box was a handgun. It looked polished and well taken care of.
Gendry couldn't stop staring at it.
Without much thought or care to what he was doing he loaded the gun.
Today was the day.
He opened a bottle of whisky and chugged it. Then setting it down on the coffee table. He sat on the couch with a pen and paper in his hands. He was shaking when he wrote the note to Jon.
He wrote about his regret, he wrote about his mom and that he'd like to be next to her, he wrote about how much of a disappointment he was. He even included dark humor, he apologized for what kind of mess he was about to make.
He placed the paper back down on the table and took the bottle back up. This time tears were pricking the corners of his eyes.
But he needed to do this.
He had no time to consider his options for if he did he'd find some way to back out. This was the only way for him, and he knew this.
Then the handgun was in his hands. He was ready.
Gendry took a deep breath and placed it to his temple.
"I'm sorry mom" were the only words on his lips as his finger went to the trigger.
Before he could pull it the door to the apartment opened noisily.
No one had the keys except him and the landlord. And the latter never bothered him.
To his horror standing at the opening was none other than Jon.
Gendry lowered the gun when he heard the other man yell.
"Gendry… what are you doing, mate?"
He couldn't say anything as he put his head in his hands and began to sob.
Jon closed the gap between them and took the gun from beside his friend. Slipping the safety back on and putting it gently on the coffee table.
Gendry felt the man's hands close on his shoulders.
"This isn't the way, we can get you some help. I can set you up in the best facility in Westeros. With the most amazing doctor and the best care. Just… please don't do this."
"I don't have anything to live for, Snow. I have no family, no friends and certainly no job. I'm fucked up. I don't have money to pay for nice treatment and I sure as hell don't need your money and posh family helping me." Gendry spat out bitterly.
Jon just sighed and pulled Gendry in for a hug. It wasn't very manly but this situation called for something more than just punching holes in walls and letting out anger or hurt physically.
"I wont be taking no for an answer. I have a duty to make sure the men that served don't go without honor. You deserve to be helped and saved."
Jon never did let him stay alone after that.
-Arya 16, 1st person-
They transferred me from Mormont Memorial Hospital. Doctor Luwin said that I needed to be in the best treatment facility. He said I needed to be taken care of by more professionals.
I was taken to Harrenhall Psychiatric Hospital. It was a place where people like me were taken. People that were crazy.
I cried.
It explained everything.
I knew something was wrong with me when I had memories that I didn't understand, or even when I didn't have memories of events at all.
I was told I had 'alters'. That there was one that told them about all of them. Who they were and what they acted like.
There was one called Cat of the Canals. She was violent and acted as if she was a murderer. Another named Arry, after the nickname my brothers gave me, it was a boy alter. He would act and behave just like my brothers would. Then there was Nymeria, she wasn't a human alter. I was told that she acted and was indeed a dog or a wolf. They weren't sure.
But they never told me about the one that told them all of this.
"Here were are, Arya. This is your new room."
It was barren. The only things in the room were two beds, two small closets and a window. There was also a curtain.
"This is where the shower and toilet is, as well as your sink. They said that every Tuesday and Thursday is bath day. You'll be taken in there and bathed."
My voice was shaky.
"I can't wash myself?"
His smiled faltered.
"No, I'm afraid not."
I took my bag and choose my bed. I put all the sleeping clothes that I was allowed into the closet. I wasn't allowed normal clothes and I wasn't allowed my bras. This I knew from my stay in the ward in Winterfell.
Winterfell. I feared I might never see my home again.
I blinked back tears as I raised my head to look over at the other bed.
"Will I ever get a roommate?" I mumbled.
"In time you might, but your mother has requested that you not be with anyone else. She wishes that you have a private room but on this floor, where they specialize in personality disorders, there is only double bedded rooms."
Figures my mom wouldn't want others with me. Wouldn't want me catching something else while I'm here.
"Your treatment will be continued from when we were up North. I've decided that I'll be here the whole time you're being treated here. So, I will take care of you personally throughout your stay."
"Thank you, Doctor."
He turned and left the room, just leaving me with a small goodnight.
I hated sleeping in unfamiliar places.
-Gendry 23, 3rd person-
Jon stayed with Gendry. He didn't let him leave his sight.
"Gen, we're gonna head down to Harrenhall. I've called ahead to make arrangements for you to stay at the hospital there. We're gonna pack your things and be on our way today."
Gendry didn't fight him. He simply just followed orders.
It was a three hour drive from Winterfell to Harrenhall. It was mostly in silence.
However, every now and then Jon would talk. He spoke of someone he knew that was there. He never mentioned a name and he never said who they were to him.
"She's very sick, they have her in a special wing. I've called the doctor that's taking care of her and told him that I wanted him to take care of you too. He's a great man and an even better doctor. He's agreed to take you on so, once you get there he'll take you."
He was never interested in that conversation enough to pay more attention than that.
When they finally got there he was greeted by the doctor.
"Hello Gendry, my name is Doctor Luwin. I'm good at taking care of special patients."
Special. First time anyone's ever called him that and look it would be a doctor to a mental case.
How ironic.
Jon followed him only past the front doors. The doctor seemed to note his reluctance.
"You can come in, Mr. Snow. You can come see her if you'd like."
He shook his head slowly. Something about his eyes made Gendry confused.
"Sorry, I can't… not after last time."
Gendry just turned away from the scene and waited for the doctor to finish escorting him.
He had to have a complete workup. Blood taken, normal vital signs documented and weight marked.
By the time he was taken up stairs he was given a pair of what looked like pajama pants and made to change into them.
They took all his normal clothes. He was only left with his shirts and boxers.
No shoes, no belts, no jeans, no socks.
He couldn't believe this, it was almost like a prison.
That's exactly what it was.
When doctor Luwin took him down the hall that he assumed his room would be on. He stopped at the door.
"You're going to have a roommate. Don't be alarmed about it though, she can't hurt you."
Gendry stopped. He was about to become roommates with some crazy chick?
Seven help him.
The doctor opened the door and the sigtht that greeted him wasn't too pretty.
There laying on one of the beds was a girl. Her hair barely tamed by a braid, her arms cuffed down to the bed and her eyes practically empty. She looked horrible.
They greeted each other and then the doctor introduced them.
He barely gave her a reply.
They spoke briefly about what was wrong with each other.
ll he could think about afterwards was how small she looked. How soft her hand was against his. She looked like a child. Her eyes dim and her body almost frail.
When her medicine came he saw how much of it she had to take.
He suddenly felt sick.
Was this what he had to look forward to?