18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 460

Stella grinned and asked, "Rosie, do you like the life you're living now?"

Without skipping a beat, Rosie replied, "I do."

Sure, there was some backstabbing among colleagues, but she had learned to handle it with ease, sometimes even finding joy in the challenge. The job was tough, but it allowed her to find her own worth.

"I think it's pretty great, sis," she said.

People always have their own agendas, but it was undeniable that everyone was striving toward a better future, believing that life would get better.

Stella smiled, feeling ready for a new beginning herself.

Later that evening, when Jasper came home and saw Stella packing, he couldn't help but ask, "How was the hospital today?"

The understaffed and under-equipped hospital was as you'd expect. But with Collin's presence, there was a newfound sense of hope.

Stella felt a pang of regret. "Dr. Garcia was pretty old when he joined the Kindle Society and fell ill soon after. Sadly, he didn't make it."

Dr. Garcia had been a towering figure in traditional medicine, and his formula for combating the smog virus had saved countless lives during the disasters. His passing was a great loss. If he had still been around, the restoration of traditional medicine would have been much faster.

Learning Stella had decided to work at the hospital, Jasper was thrilled. Nobody knew whether the disasters had truly ended, but life had to go on. Having a job could really ground a person.

"That's fantastic. We can commute together from now on."

said she wouldn't work a day in her life, yet here she was, back

out of bed by Jasper, who handed her a toothbrush slathered with toothpaste. "You can't be late on your first

going into battle. They barely caught the ferry, Stella collapsing onto Jasper's shoulder and

spare, Jasper dropped her off

Collin had worked late into the night, getting a handle on

medicine. Stella, having spent some time with Hugh, couldn't claim to shoulder everything, but she was capable of handling basic surgical emergencies. As the base was under construction, there were frequent cases of trauma that traditional medicine alone couldn't

best approach was to combine Western and traditional medicine to save as many patients as possible. Stella had reviewed the inventory of medical supplies the previous day.

Stella would be in charge of general surgery. Stella hadn't anticipated patients arriving so soon, but by late morning, an injured worker was rushed in with a deep gash in his leg, bleeding profusely. Already in poor health, his face was ashen. Without the facilities for a transfusion, they had

room, and Stella and Collin hurried to his side. Collin used acupressure and acupuncture to reduce the bleeding. Stella cleaned and disinfected the wound, then performed local

Stella and Collin exchanged a glance, their expressions serious but tinged with hope. There was

to pick Stella up from work. She was swamped with a lot to handle on her first day and didn't finish until eight. Worried about safety at night, Stella insisted Collin leave with her, only then finding out the hospital had

wait, so they decided to row back in a dinghy. They got home after nine, and Rosie and Cooper hadn't returned yet. Cooper, left alone at home, clearly expressed his displeasure,

difficult

beginning. With insufficient surgical

less than

to expand the types of traditional medicines available and improve their quality. She arranged for a dormitory room at the hospital to make it easier to rest and have lunch. When Jasper

month of difficult conditions, things slowly began to find their rhythm. Through numerous collaborations between Stella and Collin, the integration of Western and traditional medicine became increasingly proficient. Just as they were catching

and physical ailments. Those residing there, whether due to disasters or the force of circumstances, were a troubled lot. Stella dismissed the idea

have been injured. You're the hope of the base now.

heard the rumors. "The management there has been improved, with each person isolated and living separately. If it's the prion virus, we're indeed powerless, but

physical changes, though these weren't necessarily untreatable acute conditions. If even the mutated yellow croaker fish could eventually be safe to eat, perhaps they