18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 212

Stella fetched some medicine, mixed it with water, and fed it to Rosie.

She was not the best at comforting people, "Rosie is so strong. She won't leave you."

Jasper didn't respond. He quietly sat beside his sister, gently stroking her cheek, "It's all my fault. I failed to protect you."

Stella sighed inwardly. He had done his best. Who could have predicted a sudden hailstorm thousands of feet in the sky, with hailstones as big as fists? In their previous life, there had been no hailstorm.

He was human, not a god. There was no need to blame himself so much.

In an apocalyptic world, no one could truly protect others.

"Rosie, please wake up. You're the only family I have left."

Sensing Jasper's sorrow, Stella gently placed her hand on his shoulder, "You have me too. We'll be okay."

Jasper gripped her hand tightly, "Stella, thank you for being with me."

Perhaps it was Rosie's tragic death in his previous life that had shattered his usually calm demeanor. Stella could feel his helplessness and despair, but apart from being there for him, there was nothing she could do.

She checked on Rosie every half an hour, and Jasper stayed by her side without leaving.

At noon, Stella brought him some soup, but he had no appetite.

The brain was too complicated for Stella to treat. All she could do was observe from the outside, and the situation seemed relatively stable.

Around three or four in the afternoon, Rosie groggily opened her eyes, "Jasper?"

Jasper was overjoyed, "Stella, Rosie woke up."

Stella hurried over, "Rosie, how are you feeling?"

Rosie opened her eyes wide, staring blankly at the people before her, even reaching out to touch, "Jasper?"

Then, she started to dry heave, the world spinning around her.

Stella noticed that Rosie seemed a little slow, her vision blurry, looking tired and sleepy. But after some simple questioning, Rosie was still conscious. It was clear that she had a severe concussion, but they could not let their guard down, and they needed to continue monitoring her.

Stella managed to feed her half a bowl of chicken soup, and Rosie quickly fell asleep again. When she woke up again, it was midnight. Rosie was feeling much better and managed to eat a little.

She couldn't sit upright, as it made her feel dizzy and nauseous.

After giving her medicine, Rosie fell asleep again.

Jasper finally relaxed a bit, "Shall we go back?"

It was night time, less likely to be noticed by others. Stella led him and Rosie away from Arcadia.

They had left their Hummer at Eastwood Eden and chose an off-road vehicle that they had collected from Silver Asylum.

Jasper drove carefully, while Stella sat in the back taking care of Rosie.

Eastwood Eden was guarded even at night. Christian happened to be there too, he came out of the security room, "Is Rosie alright?"

"She's okay for now, just needs rest." Stella rolled down the window, "How about you guys?"

"We have a few injured too, but nothing serious. We also received our food and fresh water supplies. I told the committee about your special situation. They registered it and said you can collect your supplies after Thanksgiving."

Stella was informed that the committee had implemented strict security measures fearing chaos on site. The food and water were locked in a storeroom with three iron doors. The distribution window didn't hold a large amount of supplies and was replenished every half hour. The amount of supplies that were actually stolen was minimal. Once the situation stabilized, supplies would be distributed as usual.

Back at Eastwood Eden, after the hailstorm had stopped, Mark had organized everyone in the community to collect hailstones.

Due to the large area, they had collected a considerable amount of hailstones. Christian brought out a full bucket of water, "This is what Mark saved for you."

Stella thanked him, "Please leave it for now. We'll come to pick it up tomorrow."

Upon returning to their apartment, as soon as they opened the door, the dog rushed over eagerly.

Stella whispered, "Don't disturb Rosie."

They turned on the air conditioner and put Rosie on the bed.

Cooper was anxious, whining by the bed, questioning what had happened to Rosie.

"Rosie is hurt. From now on, you're responsible for taking care of her. If anything happens, let us know right away."

Cooper immediately dragged his bed from the living room into Rosie's room, staying by her side without leaving.

Rosie's condition was still being monitored, and Jasper was constantly on edge. He just grabbed some food to fill his stomach, "Stella, how's your injury?"

"It's okay, didn't hit the bone." Stella guessed it was a soft tissue injury. After applying some ice, it felt much better. Tomorrow, she would apply some medicinal alcohol and a plaster. Jasper was concerned, "Let me see."

They had been sleeping in the same bed, so Stella saw no reason to be coy. She lifted her shirt to show him her shoulder.

"There's nothing to worry about. We should be thankful we survived another disaster."

A tsunami and a hailstorm, what other unknown disasters were they going to face?

It was late in the night, and the two of them, exhausted, took a bath, adjusted the air conditioner to sleep mode, and quickly fell asleep.

Jasper woke up early. The first thing he did was to check on Rosie. The little girl was sleeping soundly, her breathing steady.

Twenty-four hours had passed. Even if there had been a cerebral hemorrhage or fluid accumulation, it should not be severe. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief, gently stroking her head. Cooper came over, seeking attention.

When Rosie woke up, her vision was less blurry. She got up to use the bathroom and then sat on the couch in a daze, "Stella, I think I had a dream. The couch wasn't like this."

Stella asked, "What was it like?"

Rosie couldn't articulate it. She felt her memory was very blurry. She couldn't think. Thinking made her head hurt terribly.

This was typical of a concussion. Some people would have memory problems, even confusion. Stella took this opportunity to educate her, "Don't think too much. We survived a big disaster and that means we're lucky. You'll have a good life ahead, Rosie." Cooper jumped up on the couch and snuggled quietly against Rosie, rubbing his head against her gently.

Rosie hugged the dog, her mood improving a lot, "Stella, mom and dad took me to the beach. I played until dark and didn't want to come back. I think I heard you and brother calling me. Then mom and dad sent me back."

Stella thought for a moment, "What did mom and dad say to you?"

"I... I forgot." Rosie was a bit confused but soon cheered up again, "I told mom and dad about you. I told them you're really nice and always take care of me."

"Do they like me?"

"Yes, they even said Jasper has good taste."

Stella felt slightly embarrassed at this compliment.

Rosie ate a little, but didn't keep it down for long. Stella gave her a pill, pacifying her with a soft teddy bear until she drifted off to sleep.

Jasper beckoned Stella into the bedroom, "Let me apply the ointment and massage it in."

Her shoulder had improved significantly after repeated application of cold packs and a day's dosage of anti-inflammatory medication.

Stella took out a bottle of medicinal liquor, allowing Jasper to massage it into her aching muscles.

"Stella, do you remember the time during the extreme cold when you applied the medicine for me?"

Stella responded with a self-deprecating laugh, "Who would've thought, how the tables have turned."

Riddled with guilt, Jasper confessed, "I should've protected you both better."

"It's not your fault. It was a natural disaster. We're fortunate to be alive."

At least this time they had company, medication for injuries, and they wouldn't go hungry. Compared to the majority of survivors, this was a significant stroke of luck.

After applying the medicine, Stella sat on the couch reading a book, while Jasper busied himself with household chores.

Outside, the sun was still shining brightly, seemingly unaffected by the hailstorm from the day before - as if it was merely a mirage.

Apart from those injured or deceased, nearly all survivors benefited in some way. The hailstorm had given them renewed hope to keep going.