Døn't Førget Abøut Me

Part 3

(Tyler's PØV)

Somebody comes in to try to find out why I can't remember anything. He's an expert or something. After asking a bunch of questions and trying a bunch of exercises, he suggests I try to play some music. There's a piano on one of the floors, so a nurse pushes me in a wheelchair. Josh, Jenna, and the doctor trail after us.

I didn't know I was weak until I couldn't get out of the wheelchair to sit on the bench in front of the piano. Josh helps me. I sit here, waiting for something to come back to me. I put my hands on the keys, hoping there will be some kind of muscle memory or something. There's nothing.

Jenna comes to sit next to me. "You showed me this once." She plays a few chords, which I recognize to be the beginning of Tear in My Heart. Then she takes her hands off.

I put my fingers where hers were and press down. It sounds the same. I try to remember what she played, but I can't. She shows me the notes. I try to play it. Eventually I get the three-second-long part perfect.

"Now try playing it as the song. The part just repeats."

I try to remember what the song sounds like. I play the chords, then hesitate.

Jenna starts singing, "Sometimes you gotta bleed to know." She nods at me, so I play the chords again. When I stop, she sings again. "That you're alive and have a soul." She looks at me, so I play again. "But it takes someone to come around to show you how." I know the music changes here, but I don't know what to play. Jenna voice falls into silence.

I like her voice. I only wish I could play the song.

"Try it again," she suggests. She smiles.

I play the chords again, and she sings. We stop after only about ten seconds because I still don't know what notes to play.

I can feel my face turning a little red. I don't remember my own song. Guilt washes over me when Jenna sighs sadly. I want to make her happy.

Is that something? Is that me remembering a feeling? Or is it just my sympathy? Or maybe it's because I feel attracted to her. She's really pretty. I want to kiss her like in the music video for Tear in My Heart.

No one says anything, so I start playing random notes.

"Do you know the names of the notes?" the doctor asks.

I think for a second, and the letters come to mind. "C, C sharp, D, D sharp, E, F, F sharp, G, G sharp, A, A sharp, B, B sharp, C." I play them as I speak, moving up the piano. Then I play a note that seems like it wants to be played. The A below middle C. A, C sharp, A, C sharp, G sharp, F sharp, A, F sharp, A, E.

"That's Goner," Josh says excitedly.

"Really?" I haven't heard Goner. "Is that one of ours?"

"Yeah," Josh sounds hopeful, like we're making progress.

"Play it again," Jenna says.

I do. She sings.

"I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath." I stop playing, so she says, "Again." I do. "I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath." I keep playing the same notes. "I want to be known by you. I want to be known by you. I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath. I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath. I want to be known by you. I want to be known by you." She stops singing, but I keep playing. I guess that's the end of that part. The piano falls into silence.

She hugs me, and Josh claps. I smile, though I still don't remember anything. All I did was remember a few notes, but maybe it's a good sign. Maybe it means I can remember.

*******

So... Thanks for reading. Again. :))