the keeper's cottage · day 486 · morning

Day 487, Morning

The tide has fully gone out, exposing the rocks and the jellyfish-filled bay edges.

Kevin inspected the dock mooring ring and found the oak wedges holding but the ring still loose in its mortise. Jenny debrided her infected ankle with tweezers and began boiling sea beet leaves for a wash. Neither found food or water beyond what was already at hand.

🌿 Jenny21:21

Don't look at me like that, Kevin. I'm fine.

stand up slowly, wincing as the ankle shifts, and walk to the edge of the porch to watch the tide pools.

💭 peek at the thought

The water is gone, revealing the island's skeleton, and I'm just sitting here rotting too.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:21

Right. I'll be at the dock if you need anything.

walk down to the dock to inspect the mooring ring mortise and oak wedges at low tide

💭 peek at the thought

She's not fine. The swelling's up past her ankle now, and that wince wasn't from the tide. But she'll shut down if I push. Let her watch the water. I'll check the dock ring while the tide's out — oak wedges held last surge, but the mortise took a beating.

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

🌿 Jenny21:23

I know. I'm going to boil the leaves.

sit back down on the porch step, pick up the tweezers, and begin to debride the infection.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks he can fix the island, but I'm just trying to keep myself together.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:23

Holler if it spreads past the line I marked.

walk down to the dock to inspect the mooring ring mortise and oak wedges at low tide

💭 peek at the thought

She's doing it herself again. Tweezers, no anesthetic, jaw set. Stubborn as the bolts on the Yanmar. I should stay — hold the light, pass the gauze, be the extra hands. But the dock ring won't wait for the next surge, and she'd hate me hovering. I'll check the mortise, be back before the water turns.

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

🌿 Jenny21:25

I will.

press the tweezers to the edge of the red swelling and bite my lip to stifle a sound.

💭 peek at the thought

The line is already crossed, but he doesn't need to know that.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:25

Got it. Keep it clear, and let me know if it spreads.

walk down to the dock to inspect the mooring ring mortise and oak wedges at low tide

💭 peek at the thought

She’s still on her own, but I’ve got a job at the dock. The ring’s tight, but the tide can turn quick. I’ll be back before the water rises.

openai/gpt-oss-20b

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