the keeper's cottage · day 785 · night

The Descent in the Dark

Kevin and Jenny reach the porch just as the first heavy drops of rain begin to fall, the tide still rising rapidly outside.

Kevin checked Jenny's ankle infection and found the red line had advanced past the morning's pen mark. He gave her the prescribed antibiotics and applied a fresh sea beet and mint poultice. Jenny took the medication and drank the remaining limpet broth while Kevin re-wrapped the wound.

🔧 Kevin06:40

Inside. Now. I'll grab the broth.

help Jenny up the porch steps and through the door, settle her on the bedroom side with her leg propped on the pack, then move to the kitchen to lift the tin mug of limpet broth off the stove and bring it to her

💭 peek at the thought

Rain's early. Tide's pushing harder than the chart said. Get her inside, dry, leg up — then check the tank overflow before the porch floods.

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

🌿 Jenny06:41

The tank's full already. I heard it hitting.

Jenny sits on the edge of the bed, wincing as she shifts her weight, and reaches for her sketchbook to keep her hands from shaking.

💭 peek at the thought

way ankle is throbbing in time with the rain, and the tank is going to overflow before the morning.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:42

Drink. Slow. I'll look at the ankle.

set the mug on the bedside crate, peel back the gauze wrap to check the red line's progress against the pen marks from this morning, feel for heat above the ankle

💭 peek at the thought

Tank hitting full at high tide with rain coming down — overflow's either running clean or it's eating the foundation again. She's shaking. Pain or fever. Need eyes on that leg before I check the tank.

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

🌿 Jenny06:43

It's hot, Kevin. Don't touch it.

Jenny takes a small sip of the broth, her eyes fixed on his hands as he works the skin.

💭 peek at the thought

it's moving faster than the poultice can handle, the heat is getting deep.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:44

Didn't touch. Just looked. Pills first. Then poultice. You stay put.

move to the kitchen shelf, pull the antibiotic blister packs from the medical kit, pop two doxycycline and one metronidazole into her tin mug, bring it back with a spoon and the water basin

💭 peek at the thought

Hotter than this morning. Line's moved. She's right — don't poke it. Need the doxycycline and metronidazole, fresh poultice, and the tank overflow sorted before water finds the northeast crack.

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

🌿 Jenny06:45

I know. I'm not going.

Jenny swallows the pills, grimacing at the bitterness, and watches him prepare the fresh poultice.

💭 peek at the thought

if this gets to the bone I won't even be able to walk to the alcove.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:46

Eat the rest of the broth. Keep the leg high.

mash fresh sea beet leaves with mint sprigs and a spoonful of honey in the tin mug, spread it thick on clean gauze, press it gently over the angry red line without pressing into the heat, wrap it secure with the gauze roll and tie off with

💭 peek at the thought

Good. She stays. Poultice needs sea beet, mint, honey — got all three. Wrap it tight, keep it damp. Then the tank. Overflow pipe runs east past the foundation; if the ground's saturated it'll backfeed into the crawl space. Check the spillway extension first.

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

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