The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 530

Chapter 530

From Beatrice’s expression, Nicole could tell that Hughie had already told her about their encounter. She simply didn’t expect Nicole to visit so soon.

“I ran into Hughie yesterday and found out you’d moved back to Westbridge, so I came to see you.”

They shared the apartment with Jeremy and his girlfriend. Beatrice and Hughie lived in the inner room, while Jeremy occupied the outer one.

The subdivided room was barely 80 square feet. A bed took up most of the space, and one corner had been sectioned off as a makeshift kitchen. Their belongings were crammed into every available spot, making the room feel unbearably cluttered.

Despite feeling unwell, Beatrice spent several minutes clearing a space before inviting Nicole inside. “There’s barely anywhere to stand.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Nicole sat on the edge of the bed.

“After you guys left, Zeph and I spent some time near the coast in Grayport. We traded seafood for a while, but we’ve mostly stayed around Westbridge these past few years. We take whatever work we can find, and when there isn’t any, I stay home and study medicine.

“Hughie told me you’ve had health problems ever since the miscarriage and never fully recovered. Would you mind if I took a look? Only if you’re comfortable with it.”

Beatrice gave a bitter, guilty smile. “All I’ve done is drag Hughie down. He could’ve had a much better life without me.”

“Don’t say that,” Nicole said. “You’ve been together for years. You’ve both carried each other through hard times.”

“You don’t understand, Nicole. He’s used up so many supplies trying to get me treatment.”

“Then get better for both of you,” Nicole said gently. “Hughie grew up without a family. You gave him a home. If you give up now, he’ll lose that, too.”

Beatrice smiled bitterly. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know where to begin.

Nicole examined Beatrice and found that her condition was pretty serious.

It would’ve been easy to treat early on, but without the right medicine, Beatrice was forced to live with it. Over time, the problem only got worse.

“It’s still treatable. The main issue is the inflammation. With needle therapy, therapeutic massage, and the right medication, you should make a full recovery.”

Beatrice had taken medicine before, but she had never been able to get everything she needed. The treatments were inconsistent and did little to help, so the inflammation kept coming back.

Nicole showed her several massage techniques. “You’ll need help reaching a few of the pressure points. I’ll write down the instructions so Hughie can do it for you.”

After the massage, Nicole gave her a needle therapy treatment. Then she took the medicinal herbs she had prepared from her bag.

“I didn’t know exactly what was wrong, so I brought several different herbs. Use them together for the next few

1/2

• 15 8gnus

days.”

“Medicine is practically priceless now. Where did you get so much?” Beatrice asked in surprise, quickly waving her hands. “You could trade these for a lot of credits. You shouldn’t waste them on me.”

Her home was nearly empty, and she had nothing valuable to give Nicole in return.

“The weather’s been pretty stable this past year. Zeph and I collected medicinal seedlings in the mountains and started growing them ourselves. These came from our own garden, so they didn’t cost us anything.’

Afraid Beatrice might feel guilty, Nicole added casually, “I’m not giving them to you for free. Get better first. Once you’re healthy again, you can earn enough to pay me back. We’re friends. There’s no need to keep score when one of us is having a hard time.”

After the treatment, Beatrice already felt much better. “Thanks, Nicole.”

“Everyone falls on hard times. Sometimes all it takes is someone helping you through the worst of it.” Nicole patted Beatrice’s shoulder. “Focus on getting better and starting over. I want to see you fight again. I want the Beatrice who could take down a wild boar back.”

When the hour was up, Nicole stood to leave.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify