Day 400

Aye. Rising slow. Might hold, might not. I'll look at the filter after the radio call.

walk to the radio shelf and power on the shortwave, letting the tubes warm up while watching the barometer

Won't wait. Drum's in the shed, filter housing's ready. Just need the mesh and the last fittings.

set the radio to Tom's frequency, key the mic, and call: "Tom, this is Kevin on Sorrel. 0800 check-in. Over."

Copy that. Also — tank's running cloudy. Low on fine filter mesh. If the supply boat's got any, tell them to drop a roll. Over.

release the mic and wait, listening through the static for any reply

Nothing yet. I'll try again at noon.

set the mic down, walk to the shed to assess the diesel drum filter setup and what mesh I have left

Drum's in the corner. Screen should be intact — I wrapped it in tarp before the last blow. You want to pull the bung while I get the catch pan?

walk to the shed and pull the tarp off the recovered diesel drum, setting the catch pan underneath the bung

Seal's clean. I wiped it down before the tarp. Bung's brass — no galling.

crack the bung loose with a ring spanner, letting the first few litres run into the pan to clear any bottom sludge before the filter inlet

Flow's steady. Clear as it gets for island fuel.

let the drum drain for a minute, then close the bung and unscrew the filter housing to inspect the mesh screen

Kevin — walk to the kitchen table, pick up the shortwave handset, power on the set, tune to Tom's frequency

Kevin — set the handset back in its cradle, wipe the rag over the radio casing, move to the porch to check the sky westward

Backwashing the filter now. Then I'm down to the dock at low tide to check the prop and bracket before the water comes back up.

walk inside, grab the backwash bucket and hose from the shelf, head to the diesel drum at the porch edge

Won't be long on the filter. Dock check'll wait for the next low if the water's coming up fast.

connect hose to drum outlet, open valve, let the silt-laden diesel run into the bucket until it runs clear, close valve, disconnect hose, carry bucket to the porch rail to settle

Linens still out. I'll get them. You sit.

walk to the porch and pull the line pins, gathering wet sheets and shirts into arms, carry them inside to the kitchen table

Right.

set the wet linens on the floor by the stove instead, then pull the seed packets and paper further onto the dry center of the table

Sketches are in the waterproof casing. Seeds we'll re-dry after. Ankle first.

crouch down, unwrap the poultice, check the wound for heat or spreading redness, reapply fresh poultice and rewrap clean gauze snug but not tight

Hold on.

adjust the gauze looser over the swelling, secure the tail with tape instead of a knot so it can give, then stand and press the back of my hand to her forehead checking for fever

Mm.

walk to the stove, ladle hot limpet broth into two tin mugs, set one on the table near her good hand, drink the other standing at the window watching the ridge line disappear into grey

Aye. Dinghy forward line needs checking.

finish the broth, set the mug down, pull on the oilskin jacket hanging by the door, step out onto the porch into the rain

Rain’s really coming down. Tank’ll fill quick.

listen to the rain on the roof, spoon in hand, waiting for the next bite of broth.

Put them in the tin with the seeds. Lid seals tight enough.

nod toward the heirloom seed tin on the shelf, keep eating broth.

Stay off it. I'll move the sketches.

set spoon down, push back from the table, gather the damp notebook pages and sea beet sketches toward the seed tin shelf.