18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 278

"Stella?" An excited voice echoed through the house as Cody hurriedly came out of the room, embracing Stella tightly. "Finally, you're here! We went searching for you at the Sunrise Sanctuary when we got back to Griffith, but it was all in ruins. We thought something had happened to you and Jasper. Hey, where is Jasper?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Stella felt a wave of relief. Good to know Cody was still his goofy self.

However, he had changed quite a bit. He was tougher and more mature.

Unlike Lukas and Angela, there was still light in his eyes.

Probably from all the hard knocks they'd taken, his spirit was stronger than ever, especially after finding love. Even if he stumbled, he could get back up quickly.

Stella smiled, "He had some things to take care of at home. He'll come next time."

"Come here, let me introduce you." Cody naturally wrapped his arm around his girl's waist, "Stella, this is my girlfriend, Kitty. Kitty, this is Stella, the one we always talk about. We all grew up together."

Kitty was no beauty queen, with a stern face and a cold aura, but she had a fantastic figure.

After three years of hardships, Cody looked tougher and stood with newfound confidence.

"Hi, Kitty." Stella greeted with a smile, then punched Cody playfully, "Congratulations, you've finally found your love."

Lukas emerged from the house, ruffling his messy hair, "Stella."

Stella entered the house, lightly patting Lukas, "How's Angela doing?"

Angela was tidying up a place for her to sit, "He massages me every couple of hours, and I feel much better."

The room smelled of cigarettes and medicine, probably because Angela had just taken their meds.

Seeing Angela in good spirits, Stella felt relieved. Three years into the catastrophe, they were all still alive and able to reunite, which was worth celebrating.

After catching up, Stella briefly explained what had happened since they parted ways, "Jasper and I have been doing business by the sea, selling some medicine, and have managed to save up enough to buy a house in Hopefield."

She took out a notebook from her bag, "When you guys left, you left some food and medicine. The food has been eaten, and some of the medicine that was about to expire has been sold. I've always kept the precious antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, not willing to sell them. They can still be used after expiry. I just can't guarantee their effectiveness." All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

She took out a bag of medicine, "The rest is in here. You guys can split it."

She also took out some dried seafood and corn, "I didn’t dare to bring too much over because I was worried about the safety here. If you need more, you can ask me, or I can give you all at once. Tell me which way is safer."

She handed the notebook to Cody, "I've kept a record of what we got in exchange for the near- expiry medicine. You can use it to get more food or medicine, or if you need something specific, I can find someone to trade for it."

Back at the 18th floor, Stella and Jasper had taken great care of Apartment 1803, and they knew it. The food and medicine they had left behind were supposed to be for Stella and Jasper, but they didn't expect them to return it.

For a moment, they were overwhelmed with emotion, especially Angela. After two years of witnessing the worst of humanity, where people would fight to the death over a moldy piece of bread, like her own family, Stella remained unchanged, still willing to take care of them.

Angela looked out the window, her eyes misty with unshed tears.

Even though they wanted the medicine, Cody decided to refuse, "Stella, this was supposed to be for you and Jasper. We just made up an excuse because we were afraid you wouldn't accept it. We may be down and out now, but we can't go back on our word to you."

Lukas also wanted the medicine for Angela's treatment, but remembering their past, he remained silent.

"We are friends." Stella retorted, "When we went to get the medicine, Jasper and I were part of it. We don't need your share. Use it for treatment, or trade it for better living conditions."

They exchanged a glance, and Cody finally replied, "Alright, we won't be polite then. When we can afford it, we'll pay you back."

Stella continued to take out items from her bag, herbal medicine for Angela, and some electronics for them to pass the time.

Angela picked out a box of fever reducer, "Stella, this medicine is for the herbs you gave us. If it's not enough, we'll owe you."

They may be impoverished, but their personalities hadn't changed much.

"Alright, I won't be polite either." Stella gladly accepted, "Check the notebook and let me know in advance if you need anything, I'll figure out how to get it."

Despite their poverty, they could still earn a living as security patrol officers, despite the high risks involved. As long as Angela's illness was treated, they wouldn't necessarily become rich, but they would have no problem making ends meet.

This was why they chose to be security patrol officers instead of police officers.

With their skills, they could easily become police officers, but being a police officer was more than a job, it was a responsibility. Wearing the uniform would make them feel guilty when taking ownerless items, but being patrol officers wouldn't.

While Angela was getting acupuncture treatment, Stella chatted with Lukas and Cody, occasionally stealing a glance at Kitty. She was like a lone wolf, aloof and independent, sitting quietly on the side. Despite being an outsider, she didn't seem uncomfortable at all.

Stella could tell that Kitty was a strong woman. To her, Cody was more like a passerby or a rest stop. Catching her heart wouldn't be easy. Despite her cold exterior, she didn't seem like the type to haggle over gains and losses, or else she wouldn't be willing to trade her supplies for medicine to treat Angela's illness. It appeared that she got pretty well with the trio.

After the acupuncture was done, Lukas invited Stella to stay for lunch, but she politely declined. "Cooking around here seems inconvenient; all the caution just to make soup without anyone catching the scent. When you have some time, come over to my place. We can have a proper get- together just like old times."

Stella rose to leave, a thought suddenly striking her, “Do you still have your walkie-talkies?”

During a scavenge gone wrong, they had lost the walkie-talkies Jasper had given them in a skirmish.

However, Kitty still had one.

Knowing that her walkie-talkie had a range of 10 kilometers, Stella was thrilled. She shared her home's communication channel, "Keep in touch."

Especially Angela, who needed to let her know if she felt unwell, and not keep everything bottled up.

Stella had brought a solar charger with her, but seeing that Cody had one in his room, she decided not to pull hers out.