SANDOR
"Sandor!"
The unexpected excitement in her voice took him by surprise as he entered her room. Two days had passed since he last saw her, and since it was his last day in New York, he wanted to spend some time with her before leaving.
"Little bird?" he replied cautiously. Was she feverish? Dreaming of better times?
"I forgot to tell you last time, my little brother and sister are alive!" It was as if a switch had been flipped to on inside of her. The lifeless, sullen girl from two days before was in hiding and this bubbly creature had taken her place.
Sandor listened as she told him about her siblings, holding himself in rapt silence because it brought her joy to speak about them. It rejuvenated her. The life had returned to her eyes and a happy flush painted her cheeks.
"I can't wait to hug them," she murmured as her chatter started to wind down.
"I'm sure they feel the same," he replied, and was rewarded with a bright beam.
"I had to see a child psychiatrist yesterday." Her nose wrinkled as she supplied this information. "Well she came to visit me, actually. But I'm getting discharged tomorrow. And after that I have to go to her."
"Yeah?" Sandor grunted. "Well I think I might need to follow suit and see a psychiatrist for my own problems."
Her face brightened up, although she maintained her grumbling. "You won't like it," she warned. "They'll make you talk about your feelings and every awful thing that's ever happened in your life."
"I think you like talking," he challenged her.
She huffed. "Only about interesting things."
Sandor snorted, but the little bird ignored him, looking down at her hospital gown. Her face had grown serious.
"The psychiatrist said it's not my fault even though I said yes. Pe-Pety-He should have known better." Her focus remained on the thread that she was pulling out of her hospital gown, and she refused to meet his eyes as she held herself stiff and upright.
"The psychiatrist's right," Sandor reassured. "I already told you that it wasn't your fault."
She finally looked at him. "Jon and Uncle Benjen said the same thing when they learned what happened...I finally told them. Uncle Benjen said a yes from a child is still a no. Because kids can't consent and all that."
"Wise answer provided by your uncle," Sandor acknowledged.
The little bird relaxed when he didn't show any hint of blaming her, then swiftly changed the subject, seeming completely done with it and unwilling to linger now that her anxiety had been abated. "Will you visit me at my uncle's and brother's place tomorrow?"
"Won't be able to do that, little bird. I'm parting ways with New York as soon as I leave this room."
Her face dropped. "Oh." The hollowness had crept back into her voice.
"You'll have your brother and sister with you soon. You won't even notice that I'm gone," he told her.
"We won't ever see each other again now that I live in New York." Tears were swimming in her eyes.
"We can always keep in touch through letters," Sandor suggested. "Or however it is that people communicate nowadays."
She sniffled as she looked at him. "Are you offering to be my pen pal, Sandor?"
"I'm offering to write you letters when I get the chance," he corrected, with gruff affection.
"You have to write me often," she instructed. "And you have to visit me next time you're in New York."
"Will do," he promised.
Her eyes sparkled through her tears as she leaned forward and threw her arms around him, giving him a fierce hug. It was the first time that she'd hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug.
"Don't forget," she whispered.