Game of Thrones: Not So Different – Arya

Chapter 2 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

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Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

Chapter 2

Grimacing Arya popped the pill in her mouth and swallowed it with the bottle of water.

"There, now try and get some rest." The nurse said, smiling as gently and reassuringly as she could.

Arya just rolled her eyes. 'I was doing that just fine, but you keep insisting I go out...'

Lying back down on the bed, pulling the blanket up to cover herself, Arya lay on her side, not even saying anything or reacting as the nurse left. Instead she looked at the one personal effect she was allowed to have with her, a photo that had been taken last year, of her and Gendry, along with their friends Hot Pie and Lommy.

'I...wow, I can't even remember who took it.' She reflected.

One thing that she couldn't get out of her mind, seeing Lancel Lannister in the ward just across the hall, that he was a patient here. She never imagined him of all people being here, her memories of Lancel, of the way he'd bullied Sansa and her at school before he graduated. She had dismissed him as just another of Joffrey's crew, brainless and obedient, lacking any spine or thoughts of his own. But for him to have ended up, something had to have really happened to him to cause that.

She grimaced. 'I must have misjudged him terribly...nobody ends up in a mental hospital like this overnight. He had to have been suffering from whatever caused him to end up here for so long...Have I misjudged him?'

She shook her head and slowly, focusing on the picture, remember that day as best she could, the good times, she drifted off to sleep.

The days that followed were all in the same routine for her, going through her treatment and the doctors and nurses seemed somewhat happy with her. They didn't say anything harshly, although they still kept insisting on her taking part in various activities, or going outside, when all she wanted was to stay in bed, to curl up and sleep, sometimes she didn't even want to wake up.

'Urgh, why can't they just leave me to recover on my own time.' She thought dejectedly. 'They can see what I'm doing through the cameras, they don't need to be in here every thirty minutes or whatever.'

She was making progress, she was capable of sitting up in her bed now and occasionally asked for things she needed, the nurses were able to oblige her and seemed happy when she did so. Yet it was still a slow process, but the doctors felt that slow progress was still progress. But Arya felt frustrated, despite only being here for a few days, despite knowing that the lengthy period of darkness she had endured was still there.

She shook her head. 'Don't think about that, you don't want to think about that.'

She blinked harshly, just remembering her family's anger at her, their cold hatred, caused tears to form. It was at times like these she felt so alone.

She knew her injuries had healed, that today, they would be taking the bandages off her wrists, she actually found herself wondering what her scars would be like.

She still felt alone. 'I can't talk to my family, they don't wanna hear it, they never do and never will...Gendry isn't allowed to visit me yet.'

Yet despite all this, she needed to share her worries, but not with the doctors or nurses, with someone who understood. Not the problems, someone who understood her. Which was what made Gendry's absence that much harder, he always understood her. Sometimes in ways she didn't understand herself. She didn't know what it was, maybe she was desperate, maybe she thought their similar situations would help, but she actually found herself outside Lancel's ward.

With a soft sight she gently knocked then opened the door, all the while thinking. 'I must be crazy.'

Entering she saw Lancel still lying in his bed, he slowly turned and his eyes widened when he saw her.

"A-Arya...Stark." He croaked, his voice sounded hoarse.

She nodded slowly. "Um, yeah. I just; I didn't want to be alone, I needed to talk and, and I didn't know anybody else who could..."

She was rambling she knew; especially since she could see the look in his eyes. She actually felt horrible, imposing on him like this. He clearly wanted the opposite, to be left alone. Yet he didn't ask her to leave, as if, waiting for her to talk. Despite his desire to be left alone, he seemed like he wanted to listen. She sighed, wished he'd just tell her to go away, it'd probably be easier for both them.

Then she saw his eyes flicker and realized where he'd looked. She recalled he hadn't seen her that clearly last time. Hadn't seen them before, but now he had, the bandages on her wrists.

'Now he knows...he knows I'm a coward, that I tried to cowards way out and couldn't even do that right...' She thought, feeling crushed with shame.

Then, as always, when she felt ashamed of herself, the anger came, anger at herself for feeling that way.

"Just...Just forget it." She said at last.

The internal anguish she was feeling must have shown on her face or something. For she was fairly certain she heard him try to call out to her, to ask her to stay and talk, even though she hurried out of the room, back to her ward. Trying to hide in her bed again, before the tears came and overwhelmed her once more.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.