the keeper's cottage · day 430 · afternoon

The Rising Tide

The tide has turned and is reclaiming the rocks. Kevin enters the cottage as the sky darkens over the island.

The abscess was drained at the kitchen table. The wound is cleaned and dressed with antibiotic cream and gauze. The throbbing in Jenny's ankle has subsided to a dull ache, though the heavy air remains still and oppressive. The barometer continues to drop, signaling a coming change in weather.

🔧 Kevin13:53

Back. Tide's pushing hard.

set down the mallet and crowbar by the door, pull off salt-damp gloves, walk to the kitchen table where Jenny's seed trays sit

💭 peek at the thought

Water's rising faster than yesterday. Need to get the dock checked before it swallows the piling bases entirely. Jenny's ankle can't wait either — metronidazole's working but the swelling's stubborn.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny13:53

The barometer is dropping. It's going to rain all night.

push the damp notebook away from the edge of the table and rub the swollen area around my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He looks exhausted, and I am worse. My ankle feels like it's being squeezed by pliers today.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin13:54

Barometer's at 976 and falling. Let's get that ankle cleaned and wrapped before dark.

lift Jenny's pant leg gently, inspect the swelling and poultice from this morning, then reach for the antibiotic cream and clean gauze from the first aid kit on the shelf

💭 peek at the thought

Pressure's falling fast — storm's coming sooner than the radio forecast. Her ankle's hot to the touch, and she's favoring it worse than this morning. Can't ignore the dock, but she needs care first.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny13:55

Be careful. It's stinging.

flinch as he touches the edge of the infection and grip the edge of the wooden table.

💭 peek at the thought

The skin is so tight. If it doesn't break, I'll never be able to walk to the ridge.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin13:56

Hold still. Need to check if it's abscessed.

wash hands quick in the basin with boiled water and antiseptic, then press gently around the wound margins feeling for fluctuance, talking low the whole time

💭 peek at the thought

Infection's tracking — red lines creeping up from the puncture. She's tough, but this needs proper drainage and the metronidazole's only halfway through. Can't risk sepsis out here.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny13:57

It's deep. Just... watch out.

bite my lip to keep the sound in, staring at the grain of the wood on the table.

💭 peek at the thought

The pressure is unbearable. If he presses too hard, I'm going to scream.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin13:58

Going to need the lamp and the blade. Stay with me.

grab the LED headlamp from the shelf, clip it on, fetch the sterile scalpel and fresh gauze from the ditch bag by the door, settle on the stool beside her chair

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — it's deep. No fluctuance I can feel, but the heat and tracking lines say the infection's sitting in the tendon sheath or joint capsule. Lancing blind could hit tendon or artery. Need the LED lamp and the scalpel from the medevac kit, and steady hands.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny13:58

I'm here. Just do it fast.

close my eyes for a second and take a shaky breath through my nose.

💭 peek at the thought

The light is too bright. I can see the red streaks moving up my shin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:01

On three. One — two —

make a quick, shallow stab incision at the hottest point of the swelling with the scalpel, immediately press clean gauze to catch the drainage, hold steady pressure

💭 peek at the thought

She trusts me with this. Don't hesitate. Clean incision at the point of maximum fluctuance — just medial to the Achilles, where the skin's thinnest and the pus is tracking. One cut, let it drain, pack it, dose her with the rest of the metronidazole and doxycycline.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny14:01

Ah—okay, okay, keep pressing.그런DO: let out a long, ragged breath and lean my head back against the wall, feeling the throbbing start to dull slightly.

💭 peek at the thought

way, the pressure is finally letting go, but the pain is white fire.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:03

That's it. Keep the pressure on. I'll re-pack in ten.

maintain firm pressure with the gauze, watch the drainage slow to a trickle, reach for the metronidazole blister pack and shake out two tablets into my palm

💭 peek at the thought

Good drainage — thick, yellowish pus oozing out. Pressure's working. She's in pain but holding it. Need to keep this open, keep packing it, and get antibiotics fully into her before the storm hits.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny14:03

Thank you.

take the tablets and swallow them with a sip of water from the canteen.

💭 peek at the thought

The relief is almost dizzying, but I can still feel the heat in the tissue. Two tablets... he's pushing the dosage.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.