Chapter 112: Chapter 112: The Edge of Life
SONIA’S POV
A patient was brought into the clinic, and they were already knocking on death’s door. The next breath could possibly be their last. The old man’s chest rose and fell in shallow, labored gasps, his skin pale and paper-thin.
Although the other patients I had attended to in the clinic were already getting better, the arrival of this particular patient put a temporary halt to my happiness. The air in the room felt heavier, thick with the scent of fading life and bitter herbs.
The pack doctor didn’t let me attend to him. He said that there was nothing else that could be done for the old man. He was an elder in the pack and had lived a long, fulfilling life. It was finally time for him to be in paradise with the moon goddess. Carl’s voice was gentle but firm as he guided the helpers, his face lined with quiet acceptance.
But as I peeked through the doors of the room the patient was being kept in until his time was completely up, I couldn’t help the overwhelming urge to help him. I could sense it wasn’t his time yet. I didn’t know how I knew, but I could just feel it deep in my soul. A faint spark still flickered there, weak but stubborn, refusing to go out.
My wolf tried to hold me back. She was tired of having to take care of so many sick people at once. Her protests clawed at the edges of my mind, heavy with exhaustion and warning. Before I hurried into the room to help, I found myself talking to her.
"Could you just let me do this one more time? If I can heal him, I won’t heal anyone else for the next one week. At least not by taking their pain into my body." The promise felt sincere as I whispered it internally, my hand pressed lightly against the doorframe.
She clawed at my heart in heavy protest. She didn’t want me to do it, and I could just tell. The pain of her resistance made my breath hitch, a sharp ache blooming in my chest.
However, I just couldn’t listen to her. I could hear the man’s voice in my head. He was holding on for dear life, meanwhile everyone else had written him off. Perhaps he still had a mission or two to accomplish before he finally passed away. The faint pull tugged at me, impossible to ignore.
"Please, just let me do this. I have to heal him."
She scratched violently, causing me to bend forward in pain. My vision blurred for a second, the world tilting slightly. "Enough! You’re being unreasonable!" I straightened up at once. "Someone needs my help, and even if you’re mad at me, I’ll help them."
Shutting her claws and whimpers of protest off, I walked into the room. The air inside was stale, heavy with the scent of impending loss. Carl turned in shock at my sudden entrance.
"I thought I told you to stay back?" He questioned, eyeing me from head to toe. His expression shifted from surprise to concern.
"I can’t listen to you. I’m sorry."
I sat beside the old man and grabbed his hand in mine. His skin was cool and fragile, veins standing out like thin blue rivers. "What are you doing, Sonia? He’s at the point of death. You can’t do that!" The pack doctor moved to me and tried to push me away. But I stood my ground. I held on to the man’s hand and closed my eyes.
A pool of tears instantly formed on my closed eyes. The rawest form of pain I had witnessed to date seized my entire body. I couldn’t move, could barely breathe. It was decades of hardship filled in such a fragile body—loss, battles, quiet joys, and deep regrets all crashing into me at once. I wanted to take as much pain as I could. I didn’t want to stop until I heard his wolf howl again.
"Sonia!" Someone screamed from a distance.
Perhaps it was all in my head. It was better to focus, so I could get the best result. I held tighter to the old man, despite my body that was beginning to tremble violently. Sweat broke out across my forehead, dripping down my back. It was getting closer. I could sense his wolf. Any second from now, it would awaken.
I just needed to hold on. I just needed to—A howl rocked the foundation of the building and flung me back. I landed on the ground hard, the impact jarring through my bones, and felt a presence bending over me.
"Sonia?!" A voice called as I shivered on the floor. I had done it. His wolf was alive. The old man would be fine. Those thoughts consumed me, and darkness followed seconds after.
When I opened my eyes again, I was on a bed, and Carl was seated on a chair beside it. The room felt too bright, the light stabbing at my aching head.
"You’re done. Go home," he said to me. His voice was firm, edged with exhaustion and worry.
"What do you mean by that?" My forehead creased as I dragged my body into a sitting position. My limbs felt heavy, like they were filled with lead.
"You don’t listen! You almost killed yourself trying to save a dying person. I don’t want blood on my hands, so I need you to leave."
I frowned. What was he talking about? It couldn’t be because I healed the old man. Sure, it took its toll on me, but I was awake. Healing the man didn’t destroy me.
There was a banging sound in my head. It gave me a headache. But that was a given. I had brought back a man at the cusp of death. In maybe a day, he would be fully back to life, and my wolf should have recovered. Everything was well with the world, so why was Carl looking at me so strangely?
"You’re not really going to fire me, are you?" I asked with desperation in my voice. I liked, no, I loved working in the clinic. It made me feel full of life. He couldn’t possibly.
"You’re right, I’m firing you. Leave now, before you get yourself, and me by proxy, in trouble."
"No, I can’t," I replied to my surprise, and by the look on the pack doctor’s face, he was too.
"What do you mean by you can’t?"
"If you want me to survive in this pack, I have to remain in the clinic. The alternative is too damn depressing." The words tumbled out raw and honest, my chest tight with fear at the thought of losing this one place where I felt useful.
"Then you should have thought of that before going around being disobedient. When you get better, I don’t want to see you around anymore."
He rose to his feet and walked out of the room. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving a heavy silence.
I tried to cry, but I couldn’t find the tears. This wasn’t the time to cry. I had to fight for the one thing I’ve really loved since coming to this unfamiliar pack. Jumping to my feet, I was ready to go after him when my body began to tremble anew. I felt like I was dying. I needed strength. There was only one person who could give it to me.
Mustering all the strength I could, I broke into a run. The guards at the alpha’s quarters tried to stop me from going in, but I sped past them and didn’t stop until I perceived Ramon. His scent wrapped around me like a lifeline, pulling me forward.
I opened the door his scent was coming strongly from and ran into the room. When I got to him, I dropped to his lap and kissed him. The contact sent a rush of warmth through me, chasing away the edges of darkness that threatened to pull me under again.
