18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 15

Stella, in her pajamas, stepped onto the balcony. The hurricane was still fierce, but the wind was noticeably beginning to weaken, while the rain was intensifying. The second floor was entirely flooded, and water was creeping up to the third floor, causing a flurry of chaos in the building.

She had breakfast, a warm, crunchy sandwich from Arcadia, filled with fried eggs, ham, greens, and ketchup. The aroma unfurled delightfully on her taste buds. Stella had stockpiled over a hundred of these sandwiches in Arcadia, enough to last her a good while. Delicious as they were, they were a bit greasy. She made herself a cup of honey tea, sipping it as she flipped through her second-year pharmacology textbook.

At around ten o'clock, there was a knock at the door. She assumed it was Angela, but it turned out to be the resident from 1801, Jasper.

Stella was surprised. He was usually a loner, a man of few words. Even though Rosie often came to visit Stella, Stella had hardly spoken to Jasper. Suddenly, Stella was on her guard.

Jasper, with a stern face, looked anxious. "Rosie is ill. Can you help?"

Stella was shocked. “What kind of illness does she have?”

“She has a fever, she's throwing up, and has diarrhea. She's talking nonsense.”

Sick people would usually go to the hospital, but with the hurricane going on, it was impossible to leave. Stella warned Jasper, "I can help, but I only have basic medical knowledge. Don't put all your hopes on me."

"Thank you."

Considering that he helped her before, Stella reluctantly agreed to visit Rosie. She returned to her room and tucked a folded fruit knife into her pocket.

Stepping into apartment 1801 for the first time, she noted the spacious three-bedroom layout with a good arrangement and good lighting. The living room was furnished with vintage pieces, all neat and organized, worlds apart from her own messy place. These days, men who could keep houses well organized were a rare breed.

She also noticed the new double-glazed windows on the balcony and the triple-layered stainless steel door. The entire apartment was fortified like a castle.

Rosie was not only feverish but also had a rash. Her usually bright eyes were now listless. "Stella."

After taking her temperature and pulse, and examining her bruised body, Stella realized her medical skills were rudimentary, but they would have to suffice. Stella turned to Jasper. "Rosie is weak. Moderate exercise could improve her strength and immunity, but she should not be pushed too hard."

From the bruises all over Rosie's body, it was clear that she had been pushed too far. High-intensity training in a short period of time had caused a stress response in her body, lowering her immunity and causing a cold, hence the vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. Jasper was known to be bad with kids, but Stella hadn't expected him to be this terrible.

Upon learning the cause of Rosie's illness, Jasper's face was filled with guilt. "It's my fault. I didn't take good care of her."

Looking at Rosie's bruised body, Jasper was taken aback. Rosie never complained about being tired, and even laughed off the pain when Jasper massaged her bruises. He handed Stella a medicine box filled with a variety of drugs, "Stella, which ones can we use?”

If all else failed, they would have to risk going to the hospital.

Stella rummaged through the box, surprised by how well-stocked it was. Most of them were children's medicines, too. Rosie’s illness was fairly simple and treating the symptoms would suffice. Stella selected some medicines for the cold, and for the stomach problems, she put a patch on Rosie's belly. "Once Rosie gets better, let her recuperate first before gradually increasing her exercise."

For Rosie's bruises, Stella went home and brought back a bottle of balm. "Apply this four to five times a day and massage it in for better results."

Jasper thanked Stella, "Rosie tends to get bruised easily. I happen to have some medicinal herbs here. Could you help me see which ones can be used to make herbal wine?”