18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 502

After a while, faint sounds began trickling from inside the house.

"Rosie, Cooper?" Jasper and Stella called out frantically, their voices echoing in the cold air.

Snowflake, their loyal dog, was just as anxious, whimpering pitifully.

The door creaked open, revealing a pale-faced Rosie clutching a gun. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her brother and sister-in-law. "Bro, Sis?"

The tension in her body melted away, and she crumpled to the floor. Jasper's quick reflexes caught her just in time. "Rosie, what's going on? Are you okay?"

Rosie was a mess of injuries, her clothes stained with blood. She forced a weak smile. "Bro, I kept the house safe. You finally made it back."

Fear had gnawed at her, worried they wouldn't return in time.

Too exhausted to keep talking, her heavy eyelids fluttered shut.

"Rosie," Jasper's voice cracked, his face ashen. "Rosie, stay with me. Don't sleep. I'm here now."

Stella, panicked, urged, "Let's get her inside. Quickly."

Jasper, hands shaking, felt for her breath and nearly collapsed in relief when he found it.

Inside, Stella wasted no time checking Rosie's wounds.

Rosie had taken bullets to her thigh and arm, and her body bore numerous other wounds, evidence of a brutal battle.

Though none of the injuries were fatal, the bleeding hadn't been stopped in time.

Exhausted from the fight, Stella couldn't rest yet. She prepped for surgery to remove the bullets.

It took over an hour to extract the bullets, disinfect, and bandage the wounds.

After giving Rosie antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds, Stella turned her attention to Cooper.

The dog had also been injured, with a deep wound exposing bone. But Rosie had managed a makeshift bandage.

Cooper was a trooper, enduring the stitches with stoic patience while exchanging playful banter and tender moments with Snowflake.

Caring and scolding all at once.

loss, Jasper kept a worried vigil by her side. "I want to give her a blood transfusion. We're siblings; it should work," he insisted. Stella shook her head. "Her blood loss isn't critical enough for that. Let's monitor her first. Transfusions between relatives

was still anxious, but Stella reassured him before heading off for a hot shower

treating her own bruises and swallowing more

Go clean up and get some

finally agreed, returning refreshed a

eyes open, muttered, "Cooper and

couldn't linger in Arcadia for too long, not with the constant threat

by a crackling fire, turning on both the space

his arms around Stella, and they both fell

still unconscious but stable. Despite her own exhaustion, Stella forced herself up to clean the mess

guilt and heartache, but

but not forever. Rosie had to toughen

area was clear, Stella moved the frozen bodies

up the

time they finished, Rosie

for details. Instead, she fed her some nourishing chicken

drifted back

harsh world was tough, and everyone

hearty dinner and a good

rejuvenated, she and Jasper helped each other with medicated massages to

stick to

to rehash the

had not only lured them into a trap but also tried to take

losses, they waited until dark to

had sensed something was off during the day and planted

in

been scared before it happened. But once the fight

but in fear her brother and sister-in-law

After that night, Rosieered

steely and

Sis-in-law, I've grown up. don'Dneed to worry

In

joining

the bodies.

corpses had been in