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."

day in her life, yet here she was, back at

coaxed out of bed by Jasper, who handed her a toothbrush slathered with toothpaste.

then did she fully wake up, rushing around as if she were going into battle. They barely caught the ferry, Stella collapsing onto Jasper's shoulder and falling asleep during

with time to spare, Jasper dropped her off at the hospital entrance. "I'll pick you up after

of academic affairs. Collin had worked late into the night, getting a handle on the hospital's situation and setting tasks

knew little about Western medicine. Stella, having spent some time with Hugh, couldn't claim to shoulder everything, but she was

traditional medicine to save as many patients as possible. Stella had reviewed the inventory of medical supplies the

Collin would oversee traditional medicine, and 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

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

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

and didn't finish until eight. Worried about safety at night, Stella insisted Collin leave with her, only then finding out the hospital had

home after nine, and Rosie and Cooper

difficult

beginning. With insufficient surgical

less

spent a lot of time discussing solutions with Collin, looking 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 wasn't busy, he'd come over to

between Stella and Collin, the integration of Western and traditional medicine became increasingly proficient. Just as they were catching their breath, a new task arrived-finding a way

to disasters or the force of circumstances, were a troubled lot. Stella dismissed the idea without a second thought,

she warned, "there are daily incidents of people faking illness to cause trouble, and many caregivers have been injured. You're the

separately. If it's the prion virus, we're indeed powerless, but if

acute conditions. If even the mutated yellow croaker fish could eventually be safe to eat, perhaps they could