Quicksand

do.'

'She told me once that she thought those bouts of unconsciousness were sort of like hibernation so that her mind could heal.'

He shook head. 'This is so deep it's almost a coma.'

'She had a lot of wounds to heal.' Eve was saying words of comfort, but they were only words. She was as scared as Phillip. 'Why don't you take a break? Go back to the hotel and shower and change. I'll stay with her until you come back.'

He shook his head.

'Go on. I'll call you the minute she wakes up.'

He hesitated and then stood. 'I'll try to be back in an hour, but I might be longer. I'm going to call someone who might be able to help her. Grady's in Tanzania and I might have trouble getting through to him.'

'Grady? Tanzania's half a world away. Are they close enough so that he'll drop everything and come to her?'

'There's nobody closer to Megan. In more ways than one.' He headed for the door. 'He'll be on the next flight home.'

Eve watched the door close behind him. Even if this Grady flew to Megan's side, she didn't see how he could help. Well, Phillip thought Grady could do something, and they were clutching at straws. Heaven knows Eve couldn't think of anything to do for her.

MEGAN OPENED HER EYES a little over an hour later.

'Eve?'

'Thank God,' Eve said.

Megan's gaze drifted around the room and then came back to Eve. 'You again? This is getting to be a habit.' Her voice was slurred. 'And it's not one I want to get into.'

'I don't blame you.' Eve blinked back tears. 'I'd avoid me like the plague from now on.'

'It's a thought,' Megan said. 'Laura Ann?'

'Safe. She's here at the hospital and her mother is with her.'

'That's good. Kistle?'

'Dead.'

'That's even better. So much evil…'

'I'll be right with you.' Eve pulled out her cell phone. 'I promised to call Phillip and tell him if you woke.' She dialed the number and when he picked up she said, 'She came out of it two minutes ago. Her speech is a little slurred, but otherwise she seems okay.'

'Thank God.'

'That's what I said.'

'I'll be right there.'

Eve hung up. 'He's on his way. I think he likes you a little.'

'He's my family,' Megan said simply.

'What about this Grady Phillip was trying to get to fly here from Tanzania? Phillip said you were close to him.'

Her eyes widened. 'Phillip called Grady? He shouldn't have done that.'

'He was scared. I was scared. This didn't seem like the last time. Even the doctors here at the hospital were uneasy.'

Megan was silent a moment. 'No, it wasn't like the last time. This was different. It was as if I were breaking apart inside.'

'I'm sorry.' It wasn't enough, but Eve didn't know what else to say. 'I'm very grateful.'

'I didn't do it for you. I did it for Laura Ann,' Megan said. 'And for those kids that bastard murdered. He had to be stopped.'

'But I brought you into it.'

'Yes, you did.' She sat up in bed. 'I need to go and take a shower. Then I want to get out of here.'

'They're not going to release you until a doctor signs off on you.'

'Will you go tell someone I'm okay and set the wheels in motion?' She swung her legs to the floor and then had to wait a moment until she had strength to move. 'I feel a little woozy.'

'That's not surprising. Why don't you wait for-'

'I'll be okay.' She carefully got to her feet. 'If Phillip comes back before I get out of the shower, will you tell him that I'd love it if he could pick me up a hamburger and hot chocolate?'

'I'll call him back and tell him to bring it with him.'

'Thank you.' Megan was moving stiffly across the room. 'It's not really for me. Phillip just feels better if he can give me comfort food. I imagine he was pretty upset.'

'That's an understatement.' She paused. 'You're moving like someone who's been run over by a truck. Are you sore?'

'I feel as if I were thrown into a cement mixer and then spit out. They tore me apart.'

Eve tried to restrain herself. Give her time. Don't ask the question.

She did it anyway. 'I need to know if it was-'

'Not now, Eve.' Megan opened the bathroom door. 'I'll talk to you later. I know what you're going through.'

And she should have been more patient, Eve thought, as the door closed behind Megan. She'd acted like a selfish bitch, when Megan was barely able to function. She owed the woman a debt and she needed to help, not interrogate, her.

She took out her phone and dialed Phillip Blair again.

SEVENTEEN

THE HOSPITAL RELEASED MEGAN four hours later and she opted to go back to the motel with Phillip rather than start immediately back to Atlanta.

'Eve will drive me back to the motel,' Megan told Phillip as they left the room. 'I'll meet you in the suite. Okay?'

'Okay.' He turned to Eve. 'You keep an eye on her.'

She smiled. 'I'll do it. Are you satisfied you don't have to keep an eye on me now?'

'Ask Megan. But it's been over ten hours and I'd think that would be safe.' He held out his hand. 'I like you, but I don't like what you did to Megan. Don't do it again.'

She shook his hand. 'Good-bye, Phillip. I hope we meet again under kinder circumstances.'

'But I notice you're not promising anything,' Phillip said. 'I'll see you back at the hotel, Megan.'

Megan watched him go toward the elevators before she turned back to Eve. 'He told me that he felt compelled to tell you about me and this Pandora business. He shouldn't have done it.'

'He seemed to think that there was some kind of risk. And he wasn't sure when or if you'd be conscious to deal with it.'

'I understand why he did it.' She started down the hall. 'He's a responsible man. But since nothing happened I would just as soon have not had you know about it. It sounds like something from an X-Men movie.' She glanced at Eve. 'You don't believe it, do you?'

'It's difficult.'

Megan shrugged. 'I felt the same way. I had to be convinced. But since you're not affected, you can mark it down to the ravings of just another nutsy psychic and forget about it.'

'You're not nuts. You led us to that island.'

'So I'm not nuts as a Listener, but I'm completely bonkers as a Pandora.' Megan held up her hand as Eve opened her lips. 'It's okay. I'm not hurt. I'd feel the same way. No, I couldn't feel exactly the same way. I never had a child of my own, so I can't know your desperation. But I think I can empathize.' She changed the subject. 'Do you mind if we drop in and see Laura Ann before we leave? I'd like to see with my own eyes that she's well.'