18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 342

Even those who were originally far away in the hall, fearing the acid rain, couldn't bear to witness the pain of those burned by it. They echoed sympathetically, "Doctors, please, can't you help them? Without you, they are as good as dead." Stella stood her ground, her tone firm, "I've already told you the first aid steps. We don't have any meds on us. How can we treat this?"

The chaos in the room only grew louder, until Collin, his voice strained, yelled over the din, "Folks, it's not that we don't want to help, but come on, it's been seven years since the end times hit us. Where on earth are we supposed to replace baking soda solutions now? Blocking us here won't help. What you need to do is replace clean water, not corner us, because the longer these wounds fester, the worse they'll get."

One man, his pain making him irritable, surged forward and threw a punch, "Easy for you to say! Where are we supposed to replace water to rinse off?"

Stella, quick on her feet, sent him sprawling with a kick, "If you can't even replace water, how do you expect us to conjure up meds to save you?"

That first act of violence set off the injured survivors, who now stood confrontational, "Heartless! The doctor's hitting people!"

Driven by hopelessness and a loss of reason, they seemed ready to tear Stella and the others apart. If they were going to die, they weren't going down alone.

Collin and his colleagues were scholars, not fighters, and though their research facility was guarded by the military, the sight of the enraged survivors turned their faces ashen with fear. They stood no chance in a fight.

The crowd of injured surged forward, threatening to overwhelm them in an instant. Then a gunshot rang out, deafening. The enraged crowd froze, their advance halted by instinct.

Stella, holding her gun with icy determination, spoke with a steely edge, "What's wrong with being a doctor? We're human, not gods. Seven years into the apocalypse, and you're still playing this moral high ground? Without the doctors bleeding out to replace a cure for the smog virus, you'd all be dead by now. Do you have any idea how many doctors died on the job, or risked their lives testing drugs to save you? You all know damn well whether we have medicine or not. Talking nicely doesn't seem to work with you, so if you want to die that badly, step up. I'll grant your wish."

Her words were harsh, but not wrong. Fearing the crowd's agitation could worsen, Collin quickly stepped in, "Listen up, my good folks. We feel your pain, we truly do, but we're helpless here. We've been working tirelessly to revive the medical system, but every glimmer of hope gets snuffed out by another disaster. You're right, it's a doctor's duty to heal, but what can we do without the necessary tools? It hurts us to see you suffer like this, but anger won't heal your wounds. Please, stay calm and follow the emergency procedures to replace water. Getting worked up will only worsen your condition and cause you to miss the crucial window for treatment."

"But there's no water." someone cried out, their voice breaking with pain, "What do we do without water?"

"Over there, there's water!" a distant voice called. "The well in the back of the government store."

Those who reacted quickly dashed towards the source; others followed suit after a stunned pause.

Some still eyed Stella and her team warily, deterred by the weapons in her hands, but as more people ran to get water, fear of missing out drove them away, disgruntled.

A timid team member, tears welling up in their eyes, clutched at Collin's sleeve, "Dr. Collin."

As the sky darkened and the rain grew heavier, Stella stowed her weapon away, "Let's get out of here."

People harbored feelings of hatred; there was no guarantee that those injured individuals wouldn't retaliate.

Collin nodded and hastily led a few people towards the back door.

The people seeking shelter from the acidic rain eyed their bulging backpacks with covetous glances, but the sight of Stella's gun kept them at bay, their greedy stares replaced with cautious distance.

Collin pulled out a set of oversized protective suits and cautiously tested them against the rain. They held up well, unscathed by the acid.

The rain showed no signs of stopping, and as they donned their new protective gear under Stella's vigilant watch, envy was palpable among the onlookers, "Where'd you get that gear? Can you lend me a set? I need to get home and cook dinner." No one was foolish enough to respond.

With their gear on, the team braved the relentless acid rain, each step taken with trepidation. The sight of bodies corroded beyond recognition on the streets, their clothing and flesh eaten away, was a grim reminder of their own vulnerability despite the suits. One team member couldn't hold back their nausea and vomited inside the sealed suit, nearly choking on their own bile. With no choice but to endure the stench, they continued their trek to the safety of the research facility.

Abandoned bicycles lay corroded in the rain, their frames pitted and rusted, a stark testament to the rain's potency.

The rain persisted, the sky growing ever darker, the downpour seemingly endless.

After a harrowing two hours, the group finally arrived back at the research facility, relieved to rinse off their protective gear and step out of it, free from the immediate danger.

Safe for the moment, they could only imagine the fate of those without protection. The thought of the injured they left in the square weighed heavily on them, a reminder of the cruel randomness of disaster, and the relentless struggle to survive in a world where the rain could burn. Stella listened to the intermittent sound of rain outside, feeling a bit restless. The rain varied in intensity, and it hadn't stopped for seven or eight hours. The rain continued, and everything in the human world came to a halt.

The acid rain persisted, but it didn't match Jasper's memories. According to his recollection, the first acid rain lasted for about two hours, followed by a half-month break before the second rain came. Moreover, the intensity of the rain was definitely not as heavy as it is now. Everything had changed, like a demon straight out of a horror flick, relentlessly slashing with its claws.

Stella couldn't help wondering, how were Jasper, Cooper and Rosie holding up?