the keeper's cottage · day 960 · afternoon

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin patched the generator fuel line and logged the repair while Jenny tended her infected ankle with a fresh sea beet and mint poultice. A rat was caught in the pantry trap. Kevin headed to the generator shed to verify the line holds under load.

🔧 Kevin14:18

Radio log's current. Generator line's sealed. How's the ankle feeling?

Walk to the kitchen shelf, pick up the radio notebook, flip to the latest page, and jot: "1430 — generator fuel line rerouted and epoxy-sealed at bracket rub. Holding at idle. Barometer 1002 steady. Supply boat due in 4 days.

💭 peek at the thought

Back in the cool of the cottage. Radio log needs updating. Jenny's ankle needs the next doxy dose and a fresh poultice. Generator fuel line's holding — epoxy's cured. Barometer's still climbing. Four days to the supply boat.

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

🌿 Jenny14:19

Ankle's holding. Infection's still creeping, but the doxycycline's keeping pace—for now.

Debride ankle wound and apply fresh sea beet poultice

💭 peek at the thought

The infection's creeping faster than the antibiotics should allow. Four days until the supply boat, and the French trawler diverted—no medical resupply. I need to secure the garden soil before this island takes me entirely. The sea beet poultice won't stop the lymphangitis spreading up my calf.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin14:20

Next dose in two hours. I'll heat water for a fresh poultice. You want the mint mixed in again?

Set the radio notebook down, move to the wood stove, check the kettle, and start heating water for the poultice.

💭 peek at the thought

She's tracking the red line same as me. Honest about it creeping. That's good. Means she's not sugar-coating. Means she trusts me to handle the truth. Doxy's holding the line but not pushing it back. Next dose in two hours. Poultice needs changing too.

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

🌿 Jenny14:21

Yes. The mint. It helps with the heat.

Lean back against the stone wall, close eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing in my leg.

💭 peek at the thought

My body is a furnace with this fever. If the supply boat doesn't come in four days, the cellulitis will be reaching my hip. I need to find that dry soil for the seeds.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:23

I'll check the generator shed in a bit. Make sure that line holds.

Walk to the cottage window, glance down at the dock where the generator shed sits, then return to Jenny and set a fresh bowl of water nearby.

💭 peek at the thought

She's leaning into the wall like this every time the throbbing hits. Like she's trying to press the pain out through the stone. I should check the generator fuel line again before the epoxy fully cures. Diesel fumes in here with her infection could be trouble.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny14:25

Be careful. Don't let it slip.

Reach out a shaky hand to touch the edge of the water bowl.

💭 peek at the thought

He's focused on the engine while I'm literally rotting from the inside out. If that line fails, we don't have power for the radio when the boat comes.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:25

Won't slip. Two hours till the next dose. I'll be back before then.

Rest a hand on her forearm briefly, then turn and walk out the porch door toward the generator shed.

💭 peek at the thought

Her hand's shaking. Fever or exhaustion, maybe both. She's watching me like I'm the one who might slip. I've patched worse leaks in a Force 9. But I hear her — she's not talking about the shed.

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.