18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Stella paused, her senses on high alert. Something was moving in the fog, shifting uneasily. She pulled out her flashlight, slicing through the mist with a beam of light. A pair of eyes stared back at her, blinking.

Half-hidden behind a rock, she could see a head and ears twitching slightly. Stella adjusted the flashlight, confirming it was indeed a pair of eyes. Eyes that were not human. They were filled with wariness, confusion, exhaustion, and a stubborn will. Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered, "Cooper?"

The head in the fog moved, and a shaky body stepped out from behind the rock, whimpering softly. It started walking, then broke into a run, stumbling into Stella's arms.

The creature was emaciated, skin stretched over bones, its head barely holding on. Limping and weak, its body oozed pus from multiple wounds. If it weren't for those familiar eyes, Stella wouldn't have recognized it even up close. Its belly had a long gash that had been stitched up, scabbed over but still raw. Clearly, it had been through a lot.

Who else could have stitched those wounds but Jasper?

Stella broke down, hugging Cooper and sobbing uncontrollably, "Cooper, where's Jasper? Tell me, where is he?"

Cooper cried into her embrace, too weak to even struggle. Its paws were torn and bleeding, yet it had somehow found the strength to find her. It must have been the fireworks that led it to her.

After crying, Cooper bit down on her clothes and dragged her, whining desperately. Ignoring the searing pain from its festering paws and its wobbly body, it led the way with a stubborn determination. Stella, feeling a lump in her throat, picked up Cooper, asking, "Show me, where can we find Jasper?"

Years of training had made Cooper understand human speech, and it pointed the way with its paw. Left, then straight.

Stella hurried along with Cooper on her back, feeding it hot meat pies and its favorite drumsticks. Cooper ate while rubbing its eyes with its paws, the mournful sound growing louder. Stella knew Jasper was in danger.

Her heart pounded with urgency, her steps quickening. At a crossroads, she hesitated, unsure of the direction. Cooper leaped down, determined to lead despite its injured paws, running faster and faster.

A sandstorm had buried the path, and flash floods had reshaped the landscape. Cooper trudged through the mud, crossing murky and dangerous streams. After navigating through several areas affected by landslides, nearly two hours later, they arrived at a crude cave entrance.

Around the cave lay a dozen bodies, many decomposed and stinking, but a few still recognizable despite the bite marks and torn throats. The fresh ones were Cooper's doing. The older wounds were likely Jasper's handiwork. They had been protecting each other. Standing outside the cave, Stella's heart raced. She didn't dare enter, afraid of what she might find. Cooper grew anxious, "Woof!"

Taking a deep breath, Stella bent low and crawled into the darkness. The cave was pitch black, her searching hand found an empty first aid kit. Further in, it was so cramped her head couldn't lift. Someone injured would have struggled to crawl there; probably, Cooper had hidden Jasper inside.

The dog wriggled in, bit onto his clothes, and pulled with all its might. Stella felt it, a cold hand. Her heart skipped a beat. She dared not pull, fearing it would come away in her hand.

Gently probing, Stella touched Jasper's gaunt face, his forehead burning hot, his body otherwise ice-cold. Tears blurred her vision as she finally found him. Now wasn't the time for tears. Stella carefully brought both man and dog back to the safety of Arcadia. With the darkness gone, the light was almost blinding. Now she could see Jasper clearly-his once handsome features gone, replaced by a pale, skeletal form. So thin, so frail, his breathing ragged and intermittent.

Stella began to examine him, finding a bruised waist, a gaping wound on his leg, rotted and maggot-infested. He had multiple injuries but had given the medicine to Cooper, stitching it up, leaving survival to the dog. Despite his injured waist, he'd still fought off those hungry for dog meat. She couldn't imagine how he had survived the past few weeks.

Giving him glucose water, administering medicine, Stella started to clean his thigh wound. After anesthetizing the area, she carefully removed the rotten flesh and stitched up the wound. Cutting away flesh usually didn't faze her, but with Jasper infected and in mortal danger, her hands shook uncontrollably.

It was a miracle he had lasted this long. Anyone else might have succumbed by now. He must have been waiting, wanting to hand Cooper over to her personally.

Her eyes stinging, Stella breathed deeply to steady herself. After treating his external injuries, she checked his battered back. Cooper, outside, whined non-stop, its voice laden with regret and guilt.

It took hours for Stella to clean all his wounds, his fever spiking dangerously at times, his heartbeat erratic. She administered emergency care and even a shot of adrenaline. As she injected it, Stella's heart battled within her. She wasn't a professional doctor; though she had learned much from Dr. Garcia and Collin, it was in the field of traditional medicine. But if she didn't act, she knew Jasper wouldn't make it. The adrenaline shot was a choice she didn't have.

"Jasper, hold on. You have a wife, a sister, and Cooper. You can't leave us!" she urged, gripping his hand and calling out repeatedly. Cooper burst through the door, circling the bed in distress.

Stella stayed by his side, talking non-stop. She wasn't even sure what she was saying; it felt like she was unloading a lifetime of words. Perhaps it was fate, but his heartbeat eventually stabilized. Continuing with glucose and a little rice porridge.

His life hung by a thread, and Stella didn't leave his side, dozing off next to him when tired, and talking to him when awake. Setting alarms, she maintained a strict schedule for his medication and soup. As Stella watched over Jasper, Cooper watched over his caretaker. Seeing her lost in thought, the dog extended its injured paw. Stricken with guilt, Stella quickly attended to Cooper's wound. After tending to his paws and administering a few pills, she gently removed the stitches from his belly. Battle-hardened as he was, Cooper didn't flinch from the pain. His bright eyes scanned the room, resting on Jasper and Stella.

Stella stroked his head softly, "Cooper, thank you for always being our guardian angel." Seeing his handler still unconscious, Cooper let out a mournful whine, steadfastly keeping vigil beside his human's side. Stella's heart ached for what he had endured, her fingers running through his fur, "Rest now, buddy. It's my turn to watch over you guys."

Understanding her, Cooper closed his eyes to rest. It was well past midnight when Jasper's condition finally stabilized, and Cooper showed no sign of fever. Only then did Stella allow her heavy eyelids to close.

She didn't know how long she had slept when a nudge jolted her awake. "Bark!" It was Cooper, his voice urgent, his tail wagging frantically.