18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 427

Stella and Jasper scrambled to their feet as Cooper whimpered and dashed into Rosie's room.

Jasper hurried inside to find his little sister burning up with a fever, her face flushed and hot to the touch.

They used the thermometer-it read nearly 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stella quickly unwrapped the bandage from Rosie's hand. The bite from the beach flea was swollen, but thankfully, not infected. Who knew beach fleas could pack such a punch?

They checked her heartbeat, oxygen levels, and pulse. Her heart was steady, oxygen at 93, but her pulse was fast and weak.

Stella coaxed her to swallow some fever reducer while Jasper fiddled with the oxygen concentrator. "Rosie, come on, wake up."

Rosie cracked open her eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "Brother, I feel awful."

Once the oxygen was set, Jasper slipped the mask over her. "It's just a fever. You'll be okay, don't be scared."

Arcadia had a few lab machines, but without the right chemicals, they couldn't run a blood test.

Stella pulled out the EKG monitor to check Rosie's heart-thankfully, no issues there. But the fever was relentless, sending shivers through her body, followed by bouts of vomiting. How could one little bite lead to this?

The fever reducer worked for less than two hours before the heat flared up again, forcing them to resort to physical methods to cool her down.

Rosie looked up at Jasper. "Brother, am I going to die?"

"No way, you're just sick. The medicine will kick in soon."

"But it hurts so much." She clutched his hand, tears suddenly spilling over. "Brother, I can't bear the thought of leaving you, Stella, and Cooper."

held her close. "You're not going to die. I won't let

him. "I had a dream

dreams. They don't mean

Rosie trembled. "Our uncle and cousins...

raising his voice. "Rosie, dreams are just mixed-up

dream; the pain was too vivid. She couldn't understand why she would dream such things after all, Jasper had taken her away nearly a decade ago, and she could barely remember their faces. In her dream, all she saw were snarling visages. Jasper held his sister, patting her back, trying to soothe her. "You're just feverish, making your mind play tricks. Stella and I won't

in apartment 18, how Stella had come to her rescue, giving her medicine and care. "Brother, if

been looking after you for years. You're going to grow up, and one day, when Stella needs it, you'll take

holding a glass of warm water, hesitating

a shot of fever reducer, Rosie

awake all day. Exhausted, he brewed a cup of coffee and stared out the observation

him from behind. "I'm so

just one of those freak accidents of nature. Besides, if it weren't for you, we might

have predicted the disaster would be so brutal. Without Stella, without her Arcadia, even with all his preparations, escaping with Rosie would have

are unpredictable. All the human plans and precautions are nothing against

what happens, you've got to keep on living. Don't blame yourself, and don't feel powerless. You've done more than enough.

clung to him, tears

that fearless Stella I used to

"I'm scared now."

be. I'm here. We're all still

care of his sister, Jasper didn't leave

up early to take over. "Go get

her voice hoarse from the heat. Stella gave her antiviral medication, herbal remedies to boost her immune system, and hung a few IV bags. After half a bowl of chicken soup, Rosie's spirits lifted noticeably. She looked over at Stella, a weak smile on her face. Sick as she was, her smile looked more painful than any cry.

did you dream

and you had a