CHAPTER FOURTEEN: GROWING TENSIONS

The news about Julie's healing spread through the pack like wildfire.

By the next morning, there was a line of people outside the clinic waiting to see me.

I woke up to find Emma knocking gently on my door.

"Laila, dear," she said when I let her in,

"we have a situation."

"What kind of situation?" I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew.

"There are about twenty pack members outside the clinic, all hoping you can help them with various ailments,"

Emma said carefully.

"Dr. Martinez is trying to manage the crowd, but people are getting restless."

I felt my stomach drop. This was exactly what I had been afraid of.

"What should I do?" I asked.

"That's up to you," Emma said kindly.

"But you might want to get dressed and come see what we're dealing with."

When I got outside, I was shocked by what I saw.

Not only were there pack members waiting, but I could see people I didn't recognize - wolves from other territories who had somehow heard about my abilities and traveled here hoping for help.

Dr. Martinez looked overwhelmed as she tried to organize everyone into some kind of order.

"Laila!" called out Mrs. Peterson, the older woman from breakfast yesterday.

"My arthritis has been terrible. Could you please take a look at my hands?"

"My back injury from the war is acting up again," said another man I didn't know.

"The pain is unbearable."

"Please help my little girl," begged a woman holding a child who looked very sick.

"She's had a fever for days, and nothing we do seems to help."

I felt panic rising in my chest. There were so many people, all looking at me with desperate hope.

How could I possibly help everyone?

What if I made someone worse?

What if I used up all my energy and couldn't help the people who needed it most?

"I... I..." I started to say, but I couldn't finish the sentence.

Suddenly, Kieran's strong voice cut through the crowd.

"Everyone, please step back and give Laila some space!"

The crowd immediately moved back, creating a circle around me.

Kieran appeared at my side, his presence instantly making me feel safer.

"I understand that you're all hoping for Laila's help,"

Kieran said in his Alpha voice,

"but this is not the way to go about it."

"Crowding around and demanding immediate attention is not fair to Laila or to each other."

"But Alpha," called out the woman with the sick child,

"my daughter is really suffering. Surely healing her should be a priority?"

"And my war injury has been bothering me for years," argued the man I didn't recognize.

"I traveled two days to get here!"

"I was here first!" protested Mrs. Peterson.

Soon, people were arguing with each other about who deserved help first, who had traveled the farthest, whose problem was most serious.

The crowd was getting louder and more agitated.

I felt completely overwhelmed. This was turning into a nightmare.

"ENOUGH!" Kieran's Alpha command silenced everyone instantly.

"This behavior is unacceptable. Laila is not a miracle cure that you can demand at will."

"She is a person who deserves respect and consideration."

"But she can heal people," said the unknown man.

"Doesn't she have a responsibility to help us?"

"No," said a sharp voice from behind me.

It was Elena, Kieran's adopted elder sister, the mother of the pack and she looked furious.

"Luna doesn't owe anyone her healing abilities. She's not a servant or a tool for you to use."

"Easy for you to say," the man shot back.

"You're not in constant pain."

"And Laila didn't cause your pain, so she doesn't owe you a cure for it,"

Elena replied coldly.

The argument was getting more heated, and I could feel myself starting to shake.

This was exactly what I had feared would happen.

"Stop," I said quietly, but no one heard me over the arguing.

"STOP!" I said louder, and everyone turned to look at me.

My hands were shaking, and I felt like I might cry, but I forced myself to speak.

"I know you're all hurting," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I know you need help and I want to help you but I can't help everyone at once, and I can't help anyone if you're all arguing and making me scared."

The crowd got quiet, and I could see some guilty expressions on their faces.

"I'm still learning about my abilities," I continued.

"Yesterday was only the second time I ever tried to heal a person. I need time to practice and learn how to use my gift safely."

"But people are suffering," said the woman with the sick child.

"I know," I said, looking at her daughter's pale face.

"And that breaks my heart but if I try to heal everyone without knowing what I'm doing, I might make things worse instead of better."

Dr. Martinez stepped forward.

"Laila is absolutely right," she said firmly.

"Healing is a complex skill that takes years to master. Even with magical abilities, she needs training and practice."

"So what are you suggesting?" asked Mrs. Peterson.

I took a deep breath.

"I'm suggesting that Dr. Martinez and I work together to create a system. We'll schedule appointments, start with the most urgent cases and work our way through everyone as safely as possible."

"How long will that take?" asked the man with the war injury.

"As long as it takes to do it right," Kieran said firmly.

"Laila's wellbeing and safety come first.

If she exhausts herself trying to heal everyone immediately, she won't be able to help anyone."

"But what if someone dies while we're waiting?" asked another person in the crowd.

That question hit me like a punch to the stomach.

What if someone did die because I was being too cautious?

What if my fear of making mistakes cost someone their life?

"Then that person would have died anyway," Elena said bluntly.

"Laila's healing abilities don't make her responsible for every death or suffering in the world."

"Elena's right," Dr. Martinez added.

"We've been treating injuries and illnesses for years without magical healing. We'll continue to use all our regular medical knowledge while Laila learns and practices."

The crowd seemed to accept this, though some people still looked disappointed.

"For today," Kieran announced,

"Dr. Martinez will examine everyone and create a priority list based on medical need, not who complains the loudest."

"Laila will work with her to help a few people, but only as many as she can handle safely."

"And anyone who tries to pressure Laila or make her feel guilty for not healing them fast enough will be asked to leave our territory immediately,"

Elena added with a warning look at the crowd.

As people began to line up more orderly to be examined by Dr. Martinez, I felt both relieved and anxious.

I was grateful that Kieran and Elena had protected me from the overwhelming pressure, but I still felt the weight of all those hopeful, desperate faces.

"Are you okay?" Kieran asked quietly.

"Scared," I admitted.

"What if I can't help them all? What if I let people down?"

"You can't save everyone, Laila," Kieran said gently.

"No one can. Even the most powerful healers in history had limitations."

"But if I have this gift, shouldn't I use it to help as many people as possible?"

"You should use it wisely," Kieran corrected.

"There's a difference between helping people and sacrificing yourself to try to fix everyone else's problems."

Dr. Martinez approached us after examining several people in the crowd.

"I've identified three cases that are urgent but not life-threatening," she reported.

"A child with a persistent infection, an elderly man with severe joint inflammation, and a woman with a healing wound that's not closing properly."

"Those sound manageable," I said, feeling more confident with a specific plan.

"We'll start with those three," Dr. Martinez agreed.

"But Laila, I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll tell me the moment you start feeling tired or overwhelmed. Pushing yourself too hard won't help anyone."

"I promise," I said.

As we walked toward the clinic to begin the day's healing session, I caught sight of Jessica standing at the edge of the crowd.

She had a strange expression on her face - not hopeful like the others, but almost... calculating.

That made me nervous, but I didn't have time to worry about what Jessica might be thinking.

I had people to help and I was determined to do the best job I could.

Even if I was terrified of letting everyone down.

"One step at a time," I whispered to myself as we entered the clinic.

"Laila, just take it one step at a time."