The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 403

Chapter 403

Nicole mixed some medicine with water and carefully fed it to Poppy.

She wasn’t good with comfort, but she still said to Zeph, “Poppy’s strong. She’s not going anywhere.”

He didn’t answer. He sat beside his sister, gently brushing his fingers over her cheek. “This is my fault. I didn’t protect you.”

Nicole let out a small sigh.

He had already done everything he could. No one could’ve predicted hailstones the size of fists falling out of a clear sky.

In their last life, there hadn’t been hail at all.

He was human, not a god. There was no reason for him to take this on himself. In a world ruled by natural disasters, no one could truly protect anyone else.

“Poppy, wake up. You’re the only family Zeph has left.”

Nicole could feel the weight pressing down on him. She set a hand on his shoulder.

“You still have me. We’ll get through this.”

Zeph tightened his grip on her hand. “Thank you for staying with me.

Maybe it was the memory of how Poppy had died in his previous life. It had shattered the composure he usually carried. Nicole could see the helplessness in him, the edge of something close to breaking.

There wasn’t much she could do except stay.

Every half hour, she checked on Poppy. Zeph didn’t leave her side once.

At noon, Nicole brought him a bowl of soup. He didn’t touch it.

The brain was too complex. There was nothing Nicole could do to treat it directly. All she could do was watch for outward signs. For now, everything looked stable.

Around 4 p.m., Poppy’s eyes finally fluttered open. “Zeph…?”

Zeph’s face lit up. “Nicole, she’s awake.”

Nicole moved over quickly. “Poppy, how do you feel?”

Poppy looked at them, dazed, then reached out and touched him. “Zeph?”

A second later, she gagged, the room spinning.

Nicole quickly ran through the signs.

Poppy had slowed reactions, blurred vision, fatigue, and drowsiness. The good news was that she was still alert enough to answer a few simple questions correctly.

Even so, it pointed to a moderate to severe concussion. The kind that required close monitoring.

They managed to get half a bowl of chicken soup into her before she drifted off again.

When Poppy woke next, it was close to midnight. She looked better and managed a few more bites.

1/2

+15 Bonus

She still couldn’t sit up. The moment she tried, the dizziness and nausea came rushing back.

After they gave her another dose of medicine, she slipped into a deeper sleep.

Only then did Zeph finally breathe out. “Let’s head back.”

It was night, when it was easier to move without drawing attention. Nicole took him and Poppy out of the storage. space.

The Hummer was back at Oakhaven Gardens, so they used one of the SUVs they had taken from Ironvale Base. Zeph drove slowly, keeping the ride as steady as possible. Nicole stayed in the back, watching over Poppy.

There were still guards on duty at Oakhaven Gardens.

Isaac happened to be on shift and stepped out of the security room. “How’s Poppy?”

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