the keeper's cottage · day 597 · night

The evening chill sets

Kevin and Jenny move inside the cottage as the temperature drops. The smell of boiling limpets fills the small room.

Heavy tropical rain lashes the cottage as Kevin prepares the gear for the supply boat's arrival. He attempts to tighten the dinghy rigging and instruct Jenny on the radio protocols, but the relentless weather and Jenny's fever make the tasks difficult and exhausting.

🔧 Kevin20:57

Pot's singing. Grab a mug.

lift the pot from the stove and set it on the trivet, ladle broth into two tin mugs

💭 peek at the thought

Good. The limpets will take the chill off. She's moving on her own steam now — ankle holding.

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

🌿 Jenny20:57

I'm not hungry.

Jenny sits heavily at the table, leaning her weight on her side, and opens her notebook to the sea much sketches.

💭 peek at the thought

My head feels like it's filled with lead, and the salt is making my skin itch.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:59

You don't have to eat. Drink the broth. Salt and fat.

set a mug in front of her, take the other for myself, sit opposite

💭 peek at the thought

She's been at the sketches all day. Ankle's better but the fever took more out of her than she'll say. Broth first, talk after.

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

🌿 Jenny21:01

I'll have some.

Jenny wraps both hands around the mug, letting the steam hit her face, and takes a small, cautious sip.

💭 peek at the thought

If I don't drink, I won't have the strength to get up tomorrow.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin21:01

Kevin — sip my own broth, watch the steam rise off hers, wait

💭 peek at the thought

Good. Steam's doing more for her than the mug. Let her sit with it.

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

🌿 Jenny21:03

It's good, Kevin.

Jenny takes another sip, her eyes drifting to the red streaks visible just above the bandage wrap under the table.

💭 peek at the thought

The broth is warm, but the fever is still burning under my skin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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