18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Stella and Jasper scrambled to their feet as Cooper whimpered and dashed into Rosie's room.

Jasper hurried inside to find his little sister burning up with a fever, her face flushed and hot to the touch.

They used the thermometer-it read nearly 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stella quickly unwrapped the bandage from Rosie's hand. The bite from the beach flea was swollen, but thankfully, not infected. Who knew beach fleas could pack such a punch?

They checked her heartbeat, oxygen levels, and pulse. Her heart was steady, oxygen at 93, but her pulse was fast and weak. Stella coaxed her to swallow some fever reducer while Jasper fiddled with the oxygen concentrator. "Rosie, come on, wake up."

Rosie cracked open her eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "Brother, I feel awful."

Once the oxygen was set, Jasper slipped the mask over her. "It's just a fever. You'll be okay, don't be scared."

Arcadia had a few lab machines, but without the right chemicals, they couldn't run a blood test.

Stella pulled out the EKG monitor to check Rosie's heart-thankfully, no issues there. But the fever was relentless, sending shivers through her body, followed by bouts of vomiting.

How could one little bite lead to this?

The fever reducer worked for less than two hours before the heat flared up again, forcing them to resort to physical methods to cool her down.

Rosie looked up at Jasper. "Brother, am I going to die?"

"No way, you're just sick. The medicine will kick in soon."

"But it hurts so much." She clutched his hand, tears suddenly spilling over. "Brother, I can't bear the thought of leaving you, Stella, and Cooper." Jasper held her close. "You're not going to die. I won't let you."

Rosie snuggled against him. "I had a dream that I died."

"Dreams are just dreams. They don't mean anything."

"No, it felt so real." Rosie trembled. "Our uncle and cousins... they were there."

Jasper stiffened, raising his voice. "Rosie, dreams are just mixed-up thoughts."

But Rosie felt it wasn't just a dream; the pain was too vivid. She couldn't understand why she would dream such things after all, Jasper had taken her away nearly a decade ago, and she could barely remember their faces. In her dream, all she saw were snarling visages.

Jasper held his sister, patting her back, trying to soothe her. "You're just feverish, making your mind play tricks. Stella and I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Rosie remembered when she was sick in apartment 18, how Stella had come to her rescue, giving her medicine and care. "Brother, if I die, promise to look after Stella, and take care of Cooper for me."

Jasper wouldn't hear of it. "No way. Stella has been looking after you for years. You're going to grow up, and one day, when Stella needs it, you'll take care of her."

Stella stood silently at the door, holding a glass of warm water, hesitating to enter.

After a shot of fever reducer, Rosie finally fell into a fitful sleep.

Jasper stayed awake all day. Exhausted, he brewed a cup of coffee and stared out the observation window at the marine life gliding through the ocean, lost in thought.

Stella came over, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault Rosie got sick."

Jasper turned, holding her tightly. "It's not your fault. It's just one of those freak accidents of nature. Besides, if it weren't for you, we might not have made it out safely. Don't be so hard on yourself, okay?"

Nobody could have predicted the disaster would be so brutal. Without Stella, without her Arcadia, even with all his preparations, escaping with Rosie would have been a disaster, maybe even impossible during the tectonic chaos.

Disasters are unpredictable. All the human plans and precautions are nothing against the sheer force of nature.

"Promise me, Stella, no matter what happens, you've got to keep on living. Don't blame yourself, and don't feel powerless. You've done more than enough. Every extra day we live is a gift."

Stella clung to him, tears falling silently.novelbin

Jasper gently wiped her tears. "Where's that fearless Stella I used to know?"

"I'm scared now."

He kissed her forehead. "Don't be. I'm here. We're all still here."

Taking care of his sister, Jasper didn't leave her side until dawn broke.

Stella got up early to take over. "Go get some rest."

Rosie was still in the throes of fever, her voice hoarse from the heat. Stella gave her antiviral medication, herbal remedies to boost her immune system, and hung a few IV bags.

After half a bowl of chicken soup, Rosie's spirits lifted noticeably. She looked over at Stella, a weak smile on her face. Sick as she was, her smile looked more painful than any cry.

"Sister-in-law, I had a dream last night."

"What did you dream about?"

"I dreamt you were pregnant, and you had a boy for my brother."

"Are you favoring boys over girls?"

"No." Rosie grasped her hand. "It was twins, a girl too, and she called me 'Auntie."

Stella laughed. "Silly girl, you're just a kid yourself, and you're already dreaming about being an aunt."

"I've wanted to be an aunt for so long," Rosie mused, her imagination running wild. "You and my brother raised me, and I want to help raise my nieces and nephews one day."

"Deal. Once you're over this sickness, we'll think about starting a family."

Rosie propped her head on her hand, grinning. "Really, sister-in-law?"

"Would I lie to you?" Stella encouraged her. "Your fever means your body's fighting the virus. Once it's defeated, you'll get better. Believe you can beat it, and you will."

Rosie nodded determinedly. "I can do it."

But the illness was relentless, causing her to vomit repeatedly, sometimes even convulsing. Sometimes she would sleep for hours on end without waking. Once, she struggled to breathe, clutching Stella's hand. "If I die, will you take care of my brother and never leave him?"

"That's nonsense, you're not going to die," Stella reassured, mopping her brow. "You'll pull through soon."

But Rosie was insistent. "Can you take care of my brother?"

Such a young child, and yet thinking so deeply. Stella's eyes stung with tears. "Yes."

Rosie noticed the concern etching across Stella's face and, with a gentle smile, she sought to offer comfort instead. "Sis, I don't have any regrets," she said softly.

Stella paused, taken aback.

"On the contrary, I'm actually quite happy. You've looked out for me for so many years. Without you, I might not have made it this far. The luckiest thing that ever happened to me in my life was meeting you, and of course, my brother too." Her voice carried the warmth of a cozy fireplace, wrapping Stella in an emotional embrace that only family could provide.