Nadia's words sent the older woman fleeing, her face as pale as a ghost. She didn't dare utter another word, turning on her heels and hurrying off. The other onlookers, drenched in cold sweat, kept their mouths shut. They realized, belatedly, that meddling in someone else's business had been a mistake. Fearing they might become the next target of this "murderous demon," they quickly followed the woman and left. Colby broke free of its leash and dashed to Nadia, pawing at her frantically, its eyes filled with worry and anger as it whimpered. Human, are you okay? Nadia patted its head to calm it. "I'm fine." Lily came running over as well, her face full of concern. "Miss, are you hurt?" Their care and worry warmed Nadia's heart. In this chaotic, apocalyptic world, it was rare to have someone genuinely care about her.The Hadids both let out relieved sighs. "Good that you're okay." But Nadia wasn't convinced about Harrison's condition. The brick had hit hard, and she worried he might have a serious injury. "Are you sure you're fine?" Harrison rotated his shoulder, a flicker of pain crossing his face. "It's probably nothing serious." However, his limited range of motion told a different story. Even if the bone wasn't broken, soft tissue damage was almost certain. George suggested, "We should head back. If it gets worse, we can find a doctor at the hospital." Medication was out of the question—what little remained was impossible to come by. However, the government had called on surviving doctors to continue treating patients. A good orthopedic specialist might at least ease their concerns. Harrison shifted the firewood to his other shoulder while Nadia slowed her pace to walk behind him, pushing the sled and keeping an eye on him. Lily, worried about her brother, wiped at her eyes but didn't cry. When they finally returned to the SOHO Community, Jasmine, Caleb, and Levi came downstairs to help unload. When they heard that Harrison had been injured, they were flabbergasted. But he's so strong! How could that happen?! However, none of them explained what had happened. Caleb shot a knowing glance at Nadia and seemed to piece it together. Once everything was moved upstairs, Nadia followed Harrison into Unit 1801. "Take off your shirt—I need to check." Though she'd only studied medicine for a year, she still knew more than the average person. Harrison didn't argue. He first lit the charcoal heater, waiting for the room to warm up. Then he said, "Lily, take Colby outside for a bit."Lily tilted her head, confused, but obediently took the dog and left. Colby didn't want to go, its anxious eyes fixed on Nadia. But seeing her serious expression, it reluctantly padded after Lily, its head drooping. Inside, Harrison felt a little awkward. Still, he started removing his layers. Winter clothing was thick, and it took several moments to peel off piece after piece until he was left in just his thermal shirt. He sat stiffly, not knowing where to place his hands, his posture unnaturally upright. Nadia felt a bit awkward too, but she focused on the task. Pulling back the fabric around his shoulder, she carefully pressed the surrounding area. "Does it hurt when I press here?" It did. But it didn't feel like the bone. More like a dull ache, with some throbbing and swelling. "Soft tissue damage," she diagnosed. "It's going to take some time to heal."Thankfully, his thick layers had cushioned the blow. Without them, a fracture would have been inevitable. "I'll get some ointment to massage it. Take anti-inflammatory meds and use a pain relief patch—it'll heal faster." The two of them had scavenged plenty of supplies recently, so medicine wasn't an issue. Harrison insisted on using his own stash, though the ointment he had was frozen solid. Nadia stood up. "I've got a small jar at home. I'll go grab it." Nadia returned home and retrieved a large glass jar from her domain, carefully scooping about half a jar's worth of ointment into a tiny empty jar. To avoid raising suspicion, she added some hot water to a basin and placed the jar inside to warm it up. Once the ointment was ready, she called out, "The medicine's ready. Take off your shirt, and let me check your shoulder." Harrison, unused to baring his upper body in front of women, changed into a sleeveless workout shirt while keeping the rest of his layers on for warmth. Nadia pulled down the strap of his shirt and began applying the ointment to his shoulder, massaging it with firm but careful movements. Neither of them spoke, and the air grew awkwardly quiet. Clearing her throat, Nadia broke the silence. "Thanks for saving me earlier." "You could've dodged it yourself. I misjudged." Well… he wasn't entirely wrong. Nadia could've avoided the blow, but she didn't want to imply he'd overstepped. After all, his intervention had been sincere. And even if she escaped this time, who's to say she'd be so lucky next time? "I appreciate it," she said softly. "Without you, I might not have been fast enough. But you need to take care of yourself too. Don't take such risks again—Lily was terrified." "It's just a small injury. I know my limits."He might know his limits, but she didn't like owing debts, and this one felt like a big one. After about fifteen minutes of massaging, Nadia applied a pain relief patch and prepared the anti-inflammatory medicine for him. Before leaving, she reminded him, "Keep an eye on it. If anything feels off, let me know right away." "Got it. Thanks." Pausing briefly at the door, she added, "It's the least I can do—you got hurt because of me." Back at her apartment, Nadia took a shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and settled onto the couch. Her thoughts wandered as she relaxed. The 18th-floor residents had a decent relationship overall, with no major conflicts in the months they'd lived together. Unlike the others, Harrison, typically distant and reserved, was noticeably kinder to her—likely because of Lily. But in a world like this, where survival was paramount, everyone ultimately prioritized themselves. Even in a team, there was no reason for Harrison to step in and shield her from the brick. If it had been Caleb or the others, it would've made sense—years of camaraderie from growing up in the orphanage meant they would instinctively help one another. But Harrison? Nadia reasoned it must've been his confidence in his skills. He likely assessed the situation and decided there was no life-threatening risk before stepping in. It wasn't arrogance—her combat ability was solid, easily ranking second on the 18th floor. She was also the bridge between him and Unit 1803, and she had put considerable effort into tutoring Lily. If she died, it would weaken their defenses significantly and disrupt the group's dynamics. Harrison would have to find another teacher for Lily, and any new neighbor would likely cause friction. Yeah, that must be it. With her logic settled, Nadia exhaled in relief. Still, there was an odd feeling she couldn't quite shake. Colby interrupted her thoughts, bounding over with playful energy. It pawed at her insistently, its tail wagging. Come on, human, play with me! Its antics broke her concentration. She indulged it with a rich dinner of chicken breast, bacon corn chowder, and fresh vegetables, which Colby devoured with obvious delight. Later that night, as she got ready for bed, she picked up the walkie-talkie. "H-Harry, how's your shoulder feeling?" The nickname felt strange on her tongue, but using his full name felt even stranger. His reply came quickly. "It's fine." Nadia hesitated, unsure what to say next. Scratching her ear awkwardly, she muttered, "Alright. Let me know if it starts bothering you." With that, she ended the call, turned off the lights, and went to sleep. The room was warm, but around 10 a.m., Colby woke her up, whining at the door. When she opened it, a blast of freezing air hit her, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs. The temperature had plummeted overnight—her skin instantly prickled as goosebumps rose along her arms. She stepped onto the balcony to check the thermometer. It had dropped to -31°F. Quickly retreating inside, she brushed her teeth and freshened up in the relative warmth of her domain. Afterward, she treated herself to a steaming bowl of pasta soup. Grabbing the walkie-talkie again, she asked, "How's your shoulder feeling today?" "Still swollen and stiff," Harrison replied. "Not very flexible."