18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

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?”

Despite his lack of childcare skills, he was well-prepared. He brought out two large bags of individually packaged moisture-proof medicine herbs from another room.

Stella picked out about a dozen types, all of which were used for promoting blood circulation and stopping blood stasis. “Put them in a glass jar, add a liter of vodka, seal it, and it should be ready for use in half a month."

She noticed ginseng among the herbs and singled it out. "This can also be soaked. Drinking it in cold weather not only warms the body but also replenishes energy and blood. However, it is not suitable for children."

Rosie fell asleep shortly after taking the medicine but kept talking in her sleep.

The sick child was pitiful, with tears hanging on her eyelashes. Her pale little mouth kept murmuring, "Mommy, I want mommy. Daddy..."

Jasper sat by the bed, gently wiping away Rosie’s tears, and comforting her with a guilty tone, "Don't be scared, Rosie. Your brother is here."

Stella caught the look in Jasper’s eyes and recognized that he cared for his sister, but his methods were misguided.

As she was about to leave, Jasper stopped her and handed her a pack of instant noodles. "Thank you for helping Rosie."

Instant noodles were only a few cents before the disaster, but in these times, they could keep a person alive for several more days. Stella didn't refuse and accepted it without hesitation.

Upon returning home, she pulled out a glass jar to soak some sugar in vodka. "I'm always advising others, but always forget about myself." In the extreme cold, enjoying a cup of this mix by the fireplace was pure bliss.

She also took out a few pounds of grapes, washed and dried them on her balcony in Arcadia, ready to make fruit wine.

She could tell that the hurricane was changing again once she’s out of Arcadia. It was not just Stella who noticed, many people did, and there were even cheers of joy from the windows. Their excitement was palpable. It felt like the disaster was about to end.

Stella was in a good mood and took out a serving of fish fingers accompanied by soft, fragrant rice. The plastic containers she ate from were also reused. Although Arcadia had plenty, these were non- renewable resources and could be used repeatedly after being cleaned.

She was in the midst of a pleasant nap when the sound of roaring engines woke her. It was a fleet of rescue boats, manned by firemen in bright orange life jackets. The hurricane had not stopped, but it was weakening quickly. With careful navigation, they could avoid the waves.

After eighteen long days of being cut off from the world, everyone was on the brink of despair, when this ray of hope finally arrived. The sight of the rescue boats brought many people to their knees in

tears. "The rescue party is here. The government hasn't abandoned us..." Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

They cried and laughed, were overwhelmed and excited, wiping away their tears incessantly.

There were only three boats, but they represented the hope of survival for everyone. The loudspeaker blared with the firefighters reassuring residents. "Everyone, please don't panic. We won't abandon anyone in need of rescue. We will do this one building at a time. Please have your necessary items ready. Priority will be given to the elderly and children."

This rescue mission was only for low-floor residents affected by the flood, but many other residents also flocked downstairs, surrounding the firefighters. "We still have our homes, but we don;t have food and water.”

“We’ve been starved for three days and surviving only on rainwater. Can you guys bring us some food?”

“Yeah, why did you come empty-handed? Doesn’t the government provide aid? We’re taxpaying citizens, and without our taxes, you wouldn't have a job!"

The crowd was growing, and the complaints were getting outrageous. Gratitude had turned into resentment, and it seemed they wouldn't let the rescuers leave until they resolved the issue.