Closer to Heaven With You

Leigh didn’t take much notice of the doctor as he examined her, she was too busy running though her mind trying to figure out what gates had to do with anything. Since she’d woken up that morning the word had filtered into her mind and she had no idea why. It didn’t make any sense. She had contemplated asking the doctor if he knew anything about it, but decided that he may find it random, too random and think she’s loosing it or something. In the end she decided to keep quiet about it and hope that she’d remember some more.

“Ok, well, Leigh your looking better this morning.” The doctor said as he made notes in her file. “How would you feel about heading home?”

“Home?” Leigh asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Yeah, that’s providing that there’s someone there to make sure you don’t do anything too strenuous for a week or so, I see no reason why you should have to stay confined to the hospital bed for much longer.” He replied.

“Cool, well Brian said I live with him, so I guess I’ll ask him when he gets here.” She replied with a smile, eager to get out of the plain white room she’d been stuck in for three days.

“Ok, well I’ll have to talk to him before I discharge you, but I see no reason why you can’t go home today.” The doctor replied as there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

The door opened slowly as Brian appeared in the doorway. “Morning, alright if I come in?” he asked the doctor.

“Talk of the devil, he always appears hey, come on in Brian.” the doctor chuckled. Brian looked between the doctor and Leigh, a look of confusion on his face as he crossed the room to take a seat beside the bed.

“The doctor was just saying that he needs to talk to you about discharging me.” Leigh explained.

“Really?” he asked raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah, as long as you can assure me that she’ll be resting, not doing anything too strenuous. I think it might be the best place for her; it may help her with her memory as well, surrounded by her personal belongings, things that should be more familiar to her.” he explained.

“Yeah, of course, she won’t do anything, we’ll all help out to make sure she’s rested, when can I take her?” Brian replied enthusiastically.

“Within the hour, if that’s ok with you?” the doctor replied. “I’ve just got to arrange her medication and get the paperwork done; she can be home by lunchtime.”

Brian and Leigh exchanged happy glances with each other and the doctor, who nodded and left the room.

“Where’s everyone else?” Leigh asked once the door had closed.

“Well, we decided that we should just keep it to one or two people visiting at a time, we thought it may be too overwhelming for you, having everyone surrounding you, wanting you to remember them.” Brian explained. Leigh nodded with a smile of gratification.

“Thanks Bri, maybe it will be better this way.” She replied.

“It’s going to be so nice having you back home, it’s been strange not having you in the flat these past couple of nights.” Brian said taking hold of her hand. They continued to talk about her being sent home, with Brian laying down some rules of what she would and wouldn’t be allowed to do once she got there.

“So, are you ready to go home?” the doctor asked stepping back inside the room about an hour later.

“Now?” Leigh asked, her eyes widening.

“Yeah, well, once you’re dressed and this paperwork is signed.” He replied with a chuckle.

Leigh beamed at him, eager to get out of the hospital room. She signed what paperwork she needed to and listened to the instructions for the pain killers she needed to take before getting dressed. They were given a wheelchair to help her out to the car.

Once they were parked outside their apartment, Brian helped Leigh out of the car, letting her place most of her weight on him as he supported her as they walked slowly up the stairs.
As soon as they were through the front door Leigh began to take it her surroundings hoping, yet again that something would trigger her memory.

“Anything?” Brian asked hopefully, seeing the look on her face. Leigh shook her head.

“Nope.” She replied as they walked over to the sofa where she made herself comfortable.

“You’ll get there honey, I promise.” He said passing her the TV remote.

*****

Four days past quickly, with nothing really changing. Leigh would spend time each day looking back over the photo albums and through the memory box by herself, thankful that she could at least remember what Brian and the others had told her about the photographs and the objects in the box. Each day the others would come round and spend some time with her, trying their best not all to be there at the same time.

Each day she was also plagued by that one word that made no sense to her. Gates. It was driving her crazy, as if it wasn’t bad enough not being able to remember anything about herself or anyone else, this stupid word kept on popping into her head.

“Zack and Gena are on their way over, is that ok?” Brian asked as he walked over to the sofa, where Leigh was yet again stretched across it with one of the photo albums open, staring at the page of photos of her and the guys together at her and Brian’s seventeenth birthday party.

“Hmmm? Oh yeah, of course, you know I don’t want to stop the guys from coming over just because I can’t remember them. I want to get to know them again.” Leigh replied looking up at her twin with a warm smile.

“Matt’s really cute isn’t he?” she asked returning her gaze to the photos, to one where she was hugging Matt who had a huge smile plastering his face, showing off his dimples.

“Well, he’s not really my cup of tea, but you seam to like him a lot.” He replied with a smile. “He’s liked you for a long ass time; you were with your ex, Tom, in that photo. Thinking about it, I kinda feel sorry for the guy. He had to stand back and watch you with that douche bag.” Brian said, walking around the sofa to crouch down beside her to get a better look of the photos.

“What did Tom do?” she asked quietly.

“I caught him cheating on you at Matt’s birthday party.” He replied simply.

“Oh.” Leigh whispered, frowning as the door buzzer sounded.

“That’ll be Zack. You know, I wasn’t totally convinced at first, but Matt is probably the best thing that’s happened to you.” Brian said as she walked across to let Zack and Gena into the building and opening the front door for them.

“Really?” she asked, a wide smile gracing her lips as she began to blush.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you as happy as when you are with Matt, and I know he loves you, I saw the receipt for that commitment ring he bought you.”

“Commitment ring?” Leigh questioned with a frown.

“Yeah, hang on, it’s probably with the stuff from the hospital, you were bound to have been wearing it the night of the accident.” He said disappearing briefly into her room.

He returned with the ring just as Zack and Gena walked into the flat. “Here” he said passing her the ring.

“Hey guys, get yourself a drink.” Brian said turning briefly to face Zack as he watched Leigh study the ring.

“Oh my god, this is beautiful. And Matt gave it to me?” she asked looking up at Brian who nodded.

“Yeah, just after we got signed.” He replied as he watched her place it on her finger and admire it.

“What’s up Gates?” Zack asked walking over to join them with Gena beside him.

“Nothing much, I was just showing Leigh…”

“Gates?” Leigh interrupted, her eyes wide with confusion as they turned to face her.

“Yeah, it’s kinda a nickname.” Brian replied.

“Gates?” Leigh repeated double checking.

“Yeah, we all have, well stage names I guess.”

“And yours is Gates?” she enquired.

“Yeah, well Synyster Gates to use my full name, Zack is Zacky Ven-“

“But you’re Gates, people call you Gates?” she asked again. Brian chuckled as he nodded.

“Does it really sound that stupid?” he asked but Leigh ignored him. Finally things were starting to make sense.

“So when I kept hearing Gates in my head, I wasn’t going crazy? I was remembering your nickname?” she asked with a broad smile. Zack, Gena and Brian all eyed her up, taken aback by what she’d just said.

“You remembered something?” Brian asked quietly.

“Gates, it kept coming into my mind, I thought I was going crazy, I didn’t know how it could mean anything important.” She replied happily.

“Oh my god, you remembered something, Leigh this is fucking huge!” Brian yelled, running over to the sofa and pulling her into a hug.

“That’s all though. Just one word.” She said sullenly as he pulled away.

“But it’s a start, it’s something, a step in the right direction!” Brian replied enthusiastically.
Leigh nodded. Brian was right, she should be more optimistic, she’d remembered something, albeit something small, just one word. It was a word that was related to her brother.

“So what’s your stage name?” she asked turning to face Zack with a smile.

“Zacky Vengeance.” He replied with a smirk.

“Cool, and you all have them?” she asked. They all nodded.

“Yeah, Matt is M. Shadows, Jimmy is The Rev and Johnny Christ.” Brian replied.

None of these other names rang a bell with Leigh, but she was still happy that she’d remembered something, and even happier when she realised that she hadn’t been going crazy. The word that had been driving her insane all week had turned out to be meaningful, a step in the right direction. It had given her some hope that she would get more of her memory back soon.