18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 144

Stella's words made Lukas jump out of his skin, his hand instinctively touching his face. "Ouch..."

Getting attacked by a roach was disgusting enough, but to actually get bitten by it? Oh no, his face wouldn't be ruined, would it? His wife loved this face the most.

Stella suggested, "Use some iodine to disinfect it, and take some antibiotics."

While disinfecting, Lukas voiced his fear, "Honey, if I become disfigured, you won't leave me, right?"

Angela replied without hesitation, "No."

Those watching this display of affection were left speechless. Roaches were crawling all over the place, yet these two were still showing their love for each other.

After treating the wound, they continued their struggle against cockroaches, and the terrified inhabitants of 1803 sealed their balcony again.

There wasn't much steel sheets left, so Stella didn't offer any, but suggested, "You should seal all the drains and put roach poison and insecticide on the balcony."

The balcony couldn't be fully sealed. If the air stopped circulating, the top floor would turn into an oven. They'd be lucky not to get cooked alive. So they drilled tiny holes on the steel sheets which allowed air in but also kept cockroaches out.

Living under such harsh conditions, they had to find joy in their hardships. After finishing the task, they celebrated with a cold beer. With Cody and Lukas creating a lively atmosphere, it was hard to feel miserable. So they had another gathering.

"Let's drink and be merry today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?" they cheered.

Stella brought over a big bowl of ice-cold tea.

The cold tea revived their spirits, making their bodies feel alive and refreshed.

Lukas drank two large bowls, "Stella's culinary skills are the best. We can't make it as good."

"That's because you guys don't know how to store the ingredients properly. They got ruined in the freezer."

Cody also praised Stella's cooking. Thinking about the ingredients left at home, he asked, "How did you make it?"

Stella shifted the credit, "It was Jasper who made it."

And so, the two fans began to shower Jasper with compliments. Little did they know, Jasper was also good at shifting the credit, "No, Stella taught me well."

Lukas winked at Stella, amused by how she had trained Jasper.

Before, Jasper was a tough guy who carried a gun. Now, he willingly cooked for her and even washed dishes. Lukas realized Stella was the true master at playing the game of love. And bending over for a woman he loved didn't make Jasper less of a man. On the contrary, it made him more attractive.

The conversation then turned to the heroic bunny army. Lukas, with his wild imagination, asked, "Do you think we can eat these roaches?"

Stella warned, "Roaches multiply and mutate quickly, and they crawl out of garbage heaps. They're full of viruses and bacteria. If you don't want to die, you better not."

Before she could finish her sentence, a shrill scream came from below.

They could only look down with binoculars from their room windows since the balcony was sealed. They saw a man desperately rowing an inflatable boat with a skeletal woman and a sick child.

Everyone felt a chill down their spine hearing their spat. Driven by hunger, the child had instinctively eaten the roaches he caught. They didn't know how many he had eaten. By the time his parents found out, he was already vomiting and convulsing.

The parents were helpless and could only take the child to the hospital. The hospital was out of medicines though. Even if they got there, how sure were they that the child could be treated?

Still as parents, they wouldn't give up if there was even a glimmer of hope.