18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 15

Stella, in her pajamas, stepped onto the balcony. The hurricane was still fierce, but the wind was noticeably beginning to weaken, while the rain was intensifying. The second floor was entirely flooded, and water was creeping up to the third floor, causing a flurry of chaos in the building.

She had breakfast, a warm, crunchy sandwich from Arcadia, filled with fried eggs, ham, greens, and ketchup. The aroma unfurled delightfully on her taste buds. Stella had stockpiled over a hundred of these sandwiches in Arcadia, enough to last her a good while. Delicious as they were, they were a bit greasy. She made herself a cup of honey tea, sipping it as she flipped through her second-year pharmacology textbook.

At around ten o'clock, there was a knock at the door. She assumed it was Angela, but it turned out to be the resident from 1801, Jasper.

Stella was surprised. He was usually a loner, a man of few words. Even though Rosie often came to visit Stella, Stella had hardly spoken to Jasper. Suddenly, Stella was on her guard.

Jasper, with a stern face, looked anxious. "Rosie is ill. Can you help?"

Stella was shocked. "What kind of illness does she have?"

"She has a fever, she's throwing up, and has diarrhea. She's talking nonsense."

Sick people would usually go to the hospital, but with the hurricane going on, it was impossible to leave. Stella warned Jasper, "I can help, but I only have basic medical knowledge. Don't put all your hopes on me."

"Thank you."

Considering that he helped her before, Stella reluctantly agreed to visit Rosie. She returned to her room and tucked a folded fruit knife into her pocket.

The living room was furnished with vintage pieces, all neat and organized, worlds apart from her own messy place. These days,

windows on the balcony and the triple-layered stainless steel door. The entire apartment was fortified like a

had a rash. Her usually bright eyes were now

they would have to suffice. Stella turned to Jasper. "Rosie is weak. Moderate

bruises all over Rosie's body, it was clear that she had been pushed too far. High-intensity training in a short period of time had caused a stress response in her body, lowering her immunity

filled with guilt. "It's my fault. I didn't take good

laughed off the pain when Jasper massaged her bruises. He handed Stella a medicine box filled with a variety of drugs, "Stella, which ones can we use?" If all else failed, they would have to

them were children's medicines, too. Rosie's illness was fairly simple and treating the symptoms would suffice. Stella selected some medicines for the cold, and for the stomach problems, she put a patch on Rosie's belly.

of balm. "Apply this four to five

some medicinal herbs here. Could you help me see which ones can be used to

He brought out two

"Put them in a glass jar, add a liter of vodka, seal it, and it should be ready for use

warms the body but also replenishes energy and blood. However, it is not suitable for children." Rosie fell asleep shortly after taking the medicine but kept talking in

with tears hanging on her eyelashes. Her pale little mouth kept murmuring, "Mommy, I

the bed, gently wiping away Rosie's tears, and comforting her with a guilty tone, "Don't be scared, Rosie. Your brother is

recognized that he cared

Jasper stopped her and handed her

could keep a person

advising others, but

grapes, washed and dried