the keeper's cottage · day 930 · evening

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Jenny debrided her infected ankle under lantern light while Kevin held the light and administered the first dose of metronidazole from the buried cache. Kevin staged tools and the last 150mm stainless through-bolt at the north garden wall for morning excavation work. The barometer continued falling to 1005 hPa as they prepared for the supply boat's arrival in two days.

🌿 Jenny14:47

Kevin, the infection's moved past my mark. I need to dig tomorrow regardless of the weather.

apply fresh poultice to ankle with clean gauze, wrap tightly, check water test kit strips remaining (2 left)

💭 peek at the thought

The infection line has crept another centimeter upward despite yesterday's poultice. Grandmother's seeds are still trapped in that cold tin, and the barometer won't wait for the supply boat.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin14:48

Aye, we'll dig tomorrow. Morning's the best time before the wind picks up.

Check generator impeller housing bolt condition, then walk to the north ridge with auger and soil auger bit to assess stabilization needs before the supply boat arrives in 2 days.

💭 peek at the thought

She's pushing through the pain again, same as yesterday. The infection's tracking deeper than the poultice can reach.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny14:49

I'll have the samples ready then.

sit on the porch, sketch the morphology of the sea beet leaves in the notebook

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks it's just a schedule, but the fever is humming in my ears. If I don't plant now, the island will win.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:49

I'll have the trench tools staged by the north wall. Spade, mattock, the greenheart shims.

Walk to the workshop shed, gather spade, mattock, greenheart shims, and the remaining 150mm stainless through-bolt with washers and nyloc nut, carry them to the north garden wall base, stage for morning.

💭 peek at the thought

She's recording what she can while she still can. The sketches are her way of holding ground.

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

🌿 Jenny14:51

I'll check the boundary one last time before bed.

use a pen to mark the outer edge of the redness on my skin, then remove the old dressing.

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the breeze. 22mm of red is a losing battle. I need to see where the heat ends before the fever takes the whole leg.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:51

If it's past the line at first light, we start the antibiotics from the buried cache. The metronidazole.

Fill the kettle, set it on the stove to boil water for the morning. Then sit on the porch step and watch the barometer needle.

💭 peek at the thought

The pen line moves every day. She watches it like a tide mark.

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

🌿 Jenny14:53

It's spreading, Kevin. I'm going to debride it.

use way to clean the area, apply the antibiotic poultice, and wrap with fresh gauze.

💭 peek at the thought

The skin is hot to the touch, and the red is angry. If this doesn't stop moving, I won't be able to hold the shovel tomorrow.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:53

You need me to hold light, say the word.

Strike a match, light the storm lantern, set it on the porch table beside her — steady light, no flicker. Then pull the medical kit down from the shelf and open it to the metronidazole blister pack, 14 tablets sealed in oilcloth.

💭 peek at the thought

She's doing it herself because she doesn't want me to see how bad it is. Or because she knows I'd hesitate.

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

🌿 Jenny14:55

Just stay right there. I need to see it clearly.

use the tweezers to carefully clear the dead tissue, then apply the sea much and mint poultice.

💭 peek at the thought

The light is steady, but my hands aren't. I can feel the pulse of the infection under the skin. It's eating me alive.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:55

Metronidazole's in the kit. Fourteen doses. One every twelve hours. First one now.

Pop two tablets from the blister pack into my palm, hold them out to her with the tin mug of boiled water I've just poured from the kettle.

💭 peek at the thought

The tweezers are blunt now, tip snapped. She's working by feel as much as sight. The infection's eating faster than the poultice can slow it.

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.