Iris Johansen - Pandora's Daughter

He shook his head again.

"Renata," Megan said.

Renata shrugged. "You're the one who bandaged my shoulder this afternoon, Harley."

"Come on. I've done that any number of times in the past few days," Harley said.

Renata nodded. "But this time about an hour after I left the cliff it started to itch. I began to rub the scab around the wound but it felt… funny. So I pulled aside a little of the bandage to look at it." She paused. "The scab was flaking off and the wound…" She lifted her shoulders. "You saw it. Total healing."

"Then you did it, not me," Harley said defensively. "You're the one who's got all that psychic mojo."

Renata shook her head. "I'm not a healer."

"Neither am I. Don't you try to tell me that I'm-"

Renata chuckled. "You're scared. I was wondering if you would be."

"I'm not scared. It's just that this is all crap." He glared at Megan. "What are you trying to do to me?"

"Easy." Grady was frowning thoughtfully. "The cliff, Megan?"

Megan nodded jerkily. "That's what Renata's guessing. I don't know how this Pandora stuff works but it may be triggered by extreme emotion. I was scared out of my mind when Harley grabbed me. It was life or death."

"And you were angry and afraid when Sienna crunched your hand."

"I still won't admit that I did that to Sienna. It could have been Molino."

"And it could have been you," Renata said baldly. "Stop hiding your head."

"It wouldn't do any good when you keep making me face it. Do you mind if I ignore that ugliness for a moment?" Her gaze was fixed eagerly on Harley. "You're darn right I'm excited, Grady. This is the first positive thing that's happened to me since all of this started. Harley, I know that it's hard to accept and we don't know exactly how your gift works, but I'll work with you. We'll all work with you."

"No, you won't. Because it's not true." Harley was scowling. "I know that I'm as normal as I've been all my life. I'm not like you guys who are-"

"Freaks?" Megan supplied. She smiled. "It's like looking in a mirror. I reacted the same way."

"Keep your mirror." Harley started to turn away. "I'm very happy the way I am and I'm not going to let you convince me that-"

"What?" Megan's smile faded. "Why are you behaving this way? This is something wonderful . After I thought about it, I realized that your being a healer isn't that foreign to your nature. Whenever I've been with you, I've been aware of a sort of… comfort. Just being around you brought a kind of healing when I was upset."

"Imagination." Harley's lips were set and stubborn. "And I'm not seeing any of this as wonderful."

Megan couldn't believe it. She had expected a little resistance but not this total rejection. Why couldn't he see the boundless possibilities? "And do you think I like this? The last thing I want in the world is to be a Pandora. Do you think I'm looking forward to walking on eggs, afraid to reach out to anyone? So far all anyone has told me is that it can drive people mad and kill them. But I touched you and you're not mad and now you have a gift I'd give anything in the world to possess." She added simply, "You're my salvation, Harley. You're proof that my being a Pandora can do some good in this world."

"I don't want to be your salvation," Harley said roughly. "Even if I could, I wouldn't want to be tied down. My God, I've been running away from responsibility all my life. And now you're trying to put a yoke around my neck? Thanks, but no thanks. I'm out of here."

"Then I'll follow you," Megan said. "I don't have time for you to spend six months or a year getting used to the idea that you're a healer. Phillip needs you now."

"Phillip?"

"It was the first thought I had when Renata told me about that healed wound."

"I'm supposed to lay my hand on him and make him come back to the world?"

"You're supposed to try."

For a moment Harley's expression changed, softened. "I'm sorry, Megan. I can't be what you want me to be. Even if I believed all this nonsense I couldn't…" He turned and walked away.

Megan stared after him in frustration and disbelief. "I'm going after him."

"Don't push," Renata murmured. "He'll bolt. This has come as a shock and he has to work his way through it." She glanced at Grady. "Talk to her. She's pretty much in shock too. She could deny that she was a Pandora until I threw this at her, but she had to accept the healing." She turned and started toward the house.

"He just walked away," Megan said. "It's a chance for Phillip. Harley has got to believe me."

"He'll believe you. Give him some time." Grady took her hand. "He'll get over the first shock, then he'll get curious. It's after he actually starts to believe that he's no longer 'normal' that you'll be having trouble. His first reaction was pure Harley. What does a rolling stone do when he's forced to stop and have the world reach out and cling to him?"

"He gets scared and runs away," Megan said grimly. "I won't let him do it."

"It has to come from him, Megan." He pulled her out of the utility shed. "Come on. Let's go to the house and I'll introduce you to Venable and we'll go through those victims' files Harley was working on."

"Are you soothing me, Grady?"

"I'm trying. How am I doing?"

"Not so good. I'll give Harley a little time to adjust but I won't be distracted." She stepped closer. "But thanks for the effort."

"My pleasure." His lips brushed her temple. "Entirely my pleasure."

IT WAS OVER AN HOUR LATER that Megan heard the helicopter rotors.

Her head lifted sharply from the files she was looking through. "What's that? Renata…" But she had a feeling it wasn't Renata in that helicopter. She jumped to her feet and ran out of the house.

Renata was standing looking up at the helicopter that had just taken off. "He's flown the coop."

"Harley? Why didn't you stop him?"

"Leave him alone and he'll come home, wagging his tail behind him," Renata quoted. "Though I'm not sure about the wagging tail. But you have a better chance than if you went after him."

"You can't know that," she said in despair.

"No, but I'm very good at estimating cause and effect and projecting a final result." She smiled. "If I'm wrong, then I'll help you track him down and drag him back. I'm good at that too." She took Megan's arm. "Come on. Let's go and see if we can find Adia in that mountain of files."

Bellehaven

"HARLEY'S NOT ANSWERING HIS PHONE," Grady said as he met Megan in the hall coming out of Phillip's room. "And I've tried every source I know to contact him. He's dropped off the face of the earth."

"Because that's the way he wants it." Megan shook her head. "Renata says he'll come back on his own but it's hard to be patient. It's been three days, Grady."

"You said they're still running tests on Phillip?"

She nodded. "They don't think any damage has been done because of treatment by Molino but they're not sure." She said unsteadily, "But he's not giving me any sign of a response as he did for Gardner. I examined Gardner's notes and he did document that he thought there was a slight improvement. That part wasn't a lie."

"Did Scott call you?"

"Yes, he was a little stilted, but he wants me to come and see Davy when I get the chance. I think it's going to be okay between us." She turned back toward the door to Phillip's room. "I want to get back to Phillip. I keep hoping that-"

"Miracles?" Grady asked. "I'm hoping with you, Megan." He paused. "But I'm not going to be here to see if you're able to pull a miracle off."

She turned back to face him. "What?"

"Oh, I'll be back. You're not going to get rid of me. But Venable is going to North Africa to try to track down those child victims we found in Molino's files."