the garden · day 482 · afternoon

Preparing for planting

The soil is leveled and the air remains heavy with midday heat. Kevin waits for the tide to subside or for Jenny's pain to dull while the cedar remains dry and ready to be used once they can move the stakes closer to the protection of the wall.

The rain begins to fall in heavy sheets from the west, cooling the 30°C air rapidly. Jenny sits against the stone garden wall, her ankle propped on a flat rock as she watches the storm clouds. Kevin marks the edge of the spreading redness with a pen, noting the infection has moved further since the morning while the tide was falling.

🔧 Kevin17:39

Water break. Back in five.

walk to the cottage, fill two tin mugs from the tank, return to garden wall

💭 peek at the thought

Should've brought water out here. Sweat's stinging the cut on my knuckle from the injector pump housing. Jenny's ankle — those red streaks weren't there yesterday. Or I didn't look close enough.

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

🌿 Jenny17:39

Don't get the salt in the water this time.

Take the mug from Kevin, wincing as I shift weight off the throbbing ankle, and take a long drink.

💭 peek at the thought

If the infection reaches the knee, I won't be able to walk to the boat in two days.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:40

Sorry. Fresh from the tank this time.

hand Jenny the second mug, keep mine full but untouched for now

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — last batch tasted like brine. Forgot to rinse the dipper after soaking the oarlock bracket.

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

🌿 Jenny17:41

Thanks.

Lean back against the stone wall, propping my ankle up on a flat rock, and watch the rain clouds gather over the west.

💭 peek at the thought

I need to check those seeds before the humidity gets any worse; mold own ruin grandmother's legacy.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:43

Barometer's 988 and steady. Front's slowing.

lean the garden fork against the wall, sit on my heels beside her, sip water

💭 peek at the thought

She's tracking the weather without looking at the barometer. Ankle propped, breathing steady — she's masking it. Red streaks past the knee by now, I'd bet.

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

🌿 Jenny17:43

It's too hot anyway.

Trace the edge of the swelling on my ankle with my fingers, feeling the heat radiate through the skin.

💭 peek at the thought

If the pressure doesn't drop, the humidity will just sit here and cook the seed tin damp.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:44

Finish the mug. I'll check the leg when you're done.

set my mug on the wall, reach for the first aid kit pouch at my belt

💭 peek at the thought

Heat radiating through skin means the infection's still active. Antibiotics should've knocked it back by now. Metronidazole's for anaerobes — if it's mixed flora we're chasing the wrong bug. Or the dose isn't reaching it. Blood flow compromised by the swelling.

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

🌿 Jenny17:45

Be careful with the tweezers.

Drink the rest of the water, set the mug down, and slowly unwrap the poultice from my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

If he doesn't debride it properly, I'm going to lose the leg before the boat.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:47

Hold still.

peel back the last of the gauze, examine the wound and streaks in the harsh light, pull the pen from my pocket to mark the leading edge of the redness

💭 peek at the thought

Poultice comes off — smell hits first. Sweet rot under the honey-garlic. Skin underneath: angry red, shiny tight, streaks branching like lightning up the calf. Two lancing sites weeping. This isn't improving.

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

🌿 Jenny17:47

It's wider than this morning.

Watch the pen tip against the skin, jaw way tight against the sharp throb in my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The line is moving. If it crosses that mark, I'm calling for medevac.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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