the keeper's cottage · day 805 · midday

Midday Stagnation

Kevin and Jenny meet for a meal of tinned mackerel as the heavy air remains perfectly still over the island.

Kevin examined Jenny's ankle and found the infection tracking upward past the knee, confirming the need for medevac. He cleaned the wound, applied a fresh sea beet poultice, and rewrapped it tightly. Jenny accepted the decision in silence.

🔧 Kevin07:22

Mackerel's hot. Eat while it's warm.

set two tin mugs of broth and the pot of mackerel on the porch table, pull out the chair for her

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving slower than this morning. The cane's taking more weight. I need to see the ankle before the light goes.

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

🌿 Jenny07:23

Thanks.

Jenny sits with a heavy sigh, lifting heraged ankle onto the bench, and picks up a fork.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always so cheerful when the world is literally splitting apart.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:24

Ankle first. Food after.

set fork aside, reach for the gauze and antiseptic cream on the table, peel back the wrap

💭 peek at the thought

Swelling's up past the calf now. Skin's shiny. She's not saying how bad it hurts.

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

🌿 Jenny07:25

I'm fine, Kevin.

Jenny pulls her leg back slightly, tensing as she watches him reach for the cream.

💭 peek at the thought

I can do it myself, it's just a scratch.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:26

It's not fine. Show me.

hold her gaze, hand still on the gauze, not forcing

💭 peek at the thought

The red line's past the knee. She knows it. I know it. We're past fine.

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

🌿 Jenny07:27

Fine.

Jenny lets out a sharp breath and slowly extends her leg back toward him, allowing him to peel back the salt-stained bandage.

💭 peek at the thought

If I let him see it now, he'll start talking about the boat and the mainland again.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:28

It's in the groin. We radio tonight.

clean the wound with saline, reapply sea beet poultice, wrap fresh gauze tight, hands steady

💭 peek at the thought

Red streaks tracking up the inner thigh now. Hot to touch. Lymphangitic spread. The doxycycline's not holding it. We're out of metronidazole. Four doses of amoxicillin left in the emergency kit. That's it.

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

🌿 Jenny07:29

Jenny — jenny goes quiet, staring at the white gauze on her leg as she feels the pulse in her skin.

💭 peek at the thought

If I radio now, they'll send a boat and I'll have to leave this place. ownSAY: Not yet.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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