18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 85

The moment Stella spoke, the woman's face turned ghostly pale with fear, not daring to utter another word. Afraid that Stella hadn’t vented her anger fully, she quickly turned and left.

The others, terrified and sweating, kept silent, not daring to say a word. They, too, were perplexed, wondering why they had meddled in others' business. Afraid of being targeted by the ruthless Stella, they also hastily left.

Cooper, having freed himself from his leash, rushed towards Stella, scratching her anxiously and whining, as if to say, “What's the matter, Stella?” Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Stella stroked his head, comforting him. "It's okay."

Rosie ran to Stella, her face full of concern. "Sister, are you okay?"

The concern from the two was evident, making Stella feel a warmth in her heart. Even in this chaotic apocalyptic world, there were still people who cared for her.

The Moore family’s father and son were also scared and relieved. "Glad you're okay."

The brick hit Jasper pretty hard and Stella was worried he might have fractured a bone. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Jasper moved his shoulder and a flash of pain showed in his eyes. "Should be... fine."

Seeing his less-than-nimble movements, Stella knew that even if his bones hadn't been damaged, his soft tissues were definitely bruised.

Joey suggested, "We should go home, and if it gets worse, we will go to the hospital."

The doctors, heeding the government's call, were still treating patients, but one had to fend for themselves when it came to medications. They needed an experienced orthopedic doctor to give them peace of mind.

Jasper switched the load to his other shoulder, and Stella followed behind, pushing the sled, keeping an eye on his movements.

He was hurt. There was no denying it.

Rosie was worried for her brother, she wiped her eyes but didn't cry.

When they got back to Sunrise Sanctuary, Angela and her crew helped with the moving. Upon hearing about Jasper's injury, they were shocked. He was so strong, how could he be injured?

However, the returning party didn't tell the residents of 1803 how Jasper got injured.

Cody glanced at Stella and seemed to understand.

Once everything was moved upstairs, Stella followed Jasper into room 1801. "Take off your shirt, and let me check." Although she had only studied medicine for a year and her knowledge was limited, she knew more than the average person.

Jasper didn't refuse. He first lit the charcoal stove to warm up the room and then said to Rosie, "Take Cooper out."

Rosie, though confused, was obedient. Cooper didn't want to leave, but Stella's expression was serious, so he left with a downcast tail.

It was awkward, but Jasper took off his shirt. He was bundled up for winter, so it took a few layers to get to his thermal undershirt. His posture was rigid, not knowing where to put his hands.

Stella was also a little embarrassed, but she pulled back the collar of his shirt and gently pressed around. "Does your bone hurt?"

It hurt, but it didn't feel like his bone. There was an occasional twitching sensation, accompanied by a tingling, swelling feeling.

"It's a soft tissue bruise. You'll need some time to recover." Thankfully he was wearing layers, otherwise, he would definitely fracture a bone.

"I'll rub some medicinal alcohol on it, and you should take some anti-inflammatory pills That should speed up the healing process."

They had found a considerable amount of medicine last time, so neither of them was lacking.

Jasper insisted on using his own and Stella didn't argue, but his medicinal alcohol had frozen. Stella went back to her place to get hers. "I have a small bottle at home."

When she returned home, she poured half a bottle of medicinal alcohol from a large glass jar in Arcadia into a water bottle. Afraid he would suspect something, she poured some hot water into a basin and threw the water bottle in after a while.

"The medicinal alcohol is thawed now. You can expose your shoulder."

He would be freezing if he didn't wear anything, but Jasper wasn't used to being shirtless in front of a girl. He changed into a sleeveless workout shirt, bundling the rest of his body tightly.

Stella pulled down his strap and applied the medicinal alcohol, massaging it in with just the right amount of pressure.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Stella cleared her throat. "Thank you for saving me."

"You could have totally avoided it. It was my mistake."

Well, Stella could have dodged it, but she couldn't blame him for interfering either. What about next time? She appreciated the concern from her team.

However, she still kindly reminded him, "If it wasn't for you, I might not have been able to dodge it. But you need to take care of yourself and not take too many risks next time. Look at how scared Rosie was."

"It's okay, it's just a minor injury. I know my limits."

He might’ve known his limits, but Stella didn't want to owe him. Owing someone a favor was the hardest debt to repay!

After a ten-minute massage and applying the plaster, she found the medication he needed. Before leaving, Stella reminded him, "Keep an eye on it and let me know if you feel uncomfortable."

"Okay, thank you."

Stella paused. "You're welcome." After all, he was injured because of her.

Back home, she took a shower and settled on the couch in her comfortable clothes, as her thoughts were drifting away.

The people on the 18th floor got along well. They were not the type to hold grudges and there hadn't been any major conflicts in the past few months.

Because of Rosie, Jasper, who was usually cold, treated Stella better than Cody and the others. But this was the end of the world, a time of life and death. Everyone would naturally look out for themselves first.

Even if they were on the same team, Jasper didn't need to take the hit for her, did he?

If it were Cody and the others, it would make sense. After all, Stella and Cody grew up in the same orphanage and had a solid foundation of friendship. They would instinctively help each other in dangerous situations.

But what about Jasper?

Stella thought about it and concluded that he must have been extremely confident in his abilities and only stepped in to save her when he was sure there was no threat to his life.

It wasn't her being confident, but considering her combat skills, she was undoubtedly the second strongest on the 18th floor. She was also the bridge of communication between Jasper and room 1803, and she had been doing her best to tutor Rosie. If Stella had died, the 18th floor would have lost a fighter, increasing the risk of having to defend the floor more. Jasper would also have to find another teacher for Rosie.

Jasper’s cold and reserved personality would make it hard for him to get along with the people in 1803 like before. If new neighbors moved in, there would definitely be major conflicts.

Right, it must’ve been that.

Once she figured it out, Stella couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. But still, she felt…

Cooper pounced on her, scratching her with his paw. “Let's play, Stella.”

His jumping and bouncing successfully interrupted her train of thought. Cooper had had a tiring day and had a particularly hearty dinner. Not only did he have chicken breast, but also rib soup, corn soup, and essential green vegetables. He ate happily.

At bedtime, Stella turned on the walkie-talkie. "Jasper, how's the pain?"

The response came quickly from the other side. "It's fine."

Stella scratched her ear, not sure what to say next. "Alright," she finally said. "Just let me know if you start feeling unwell."

She put down the walkie-talkie and turned off the lights, ready for a good night's sleep.

The room was cozy, and she slept soundly until ten when she was awoken by her dog's playful barks. As she opened the door, a blast of icy air hit her, almost knocking her off her feet. It felt much colder than yesterday, causing goosebumps to instantly form on her skin.

She stepped out onto the balcony to check the temperature. The thermometer read -35 degrees. Shivering, she quickly retreated back into her room. After brushing her teeth and washing up in the Arcadia, she treated herself to a bowl of deliciously hot chicken noodle soup.

Once she finished eating, she picked up the walkie-talkie again. "How's your pain today?" She asked.

"It's numb and swollen, and I don’t feel very flexible," came the reply.