Day 535

Give me the twine. I’ll reeve it proper.

walk to the tarp, take the twine from Jenny’s hand, and retighten the lashings with a trucker’s hitch, securing each corner to the oak stakes.

Burying them now. Double half-hitches, tucked under the lashing.

pull the twine tight, tie buried double half-hitches at each corner, and trim the ends close so they won’t snag. Then walk back to Jenny and crouch beside her to see her ankle.

Right. Sitting then.

sit back on my heels, then lower to the stone beside her, keeping weight off the left ankle. Watch her work the poultice, checking the red line above the bandage.

On it.

stand slow, favoring the right leg, and walk to the dry bag lashed to the dinghy. Pull out the shortwave radio, wipe the salt from the mic, and tune to the supply boat’s frequency.

This is Kevin, keeper of Sorrel Island. I’m broadcasting to confirm that I’m safe and that the cottage is intact. I’m calling for an evacuation—please expedite the supply boat. I’m ready for departure.

press the push‑to‑talk button, hold the mic steady, and speak in a measured, clear tone. While speaking, I’ll note the water level with the gauge to verify 397 L. Then I’ll finish the transmission and wait for a reply.

Kevin — trench the leak at the cottage foundation where the joist meets the overflow; lay gravel and seal with tar and sand.

Yeah. I know.

Keep trenching the leak, but slower now — let the words settle between us like the rain on the roof.

I’ll be out back if you need me.

Finish sealing the trench with tar and sand, then wipe my hands on my jeans and go check the mooring ring one last time before dark.

I’ll trench the leak after lunch. Gravel, tar, sand—same as we talked about. You rest that ankle while I’m out there.

walk to the back of the cottage, grab the spade and trench from the shed, then head to the foundation where the joist meets the overflow tank to start digging.

I know where it runs. I’ll keep the spade clear and work from the outside in. You focus on keeping that clean.

kneel at the foundation joint, insert the spade just outside the visible damp line, and begin trenching a shallow, narrow channel along the joint, watching for the pipe’s outline as I go.

Won’t nick it. Trench is shallow—just deep enough for gravel and tar. You’ll have water for the soak.

continue trenching carefully along the foundation joint, keeping the spade angled away from the pipe’s known path, piling the damp soil to the side for backfill later.

Almost there. Just a bit more, then I’ll lay the gravel. You keep it under—don’t pull it out yet.

finish the trench to the planned depth (about four inches), smooth the bottom with the trowel, then walk to the shed for the gravel bucket and tarpaper roll.

I’ll use the flat stones first, smooth side down. Then the tar mix. You just keep it under—ten more minutes, then we’ll check it.

walk back with the gravel bucket and tarpaper, pour a thin layer of small, flat stones into the trench, then use the trowel to level them, ensuring no jagged edges face upward.

Jenny, hold the shutters. Pull the wires tight, we’ll get a lock on those panels. The rain’ll hit hard—keep your weight on the inside, we don’t want the wind to force the shutters in.

tighten the shutter latch, hand Jenny a damp towel, and check the seal on the water tank overflow.

I’ll wedge the shutter frame from the inside with the crowbar. Keep the notebook under the table, away from the edge. I’ll get the tarp over the table as soon as the wind lets up a breath.

jam the crowbar into the shutter mortise to brace it, then pull the heavy tarp from the porch and drape it over the kitchen table, weighing the corners with the cast iron skillet and a bucket of stones.

Jenny, I’ll clean the wound now—use the tweezers, lift the dead tissue, then pack it with the antibiotic cream and fresh gauze. It’ll sting, but it’s the only way to keep it from spreading.

lift her foot gently onto a stool, swab the wound with clean water from the basin, use the tweezers to remove necrotic tissue, apply antibiotic cream, and wrap the ankle with a clean gauze strip from the first aid kit.

Hold the table steady. I’ll finish the dressing now—if I can, I’ll get the seed tin out after. We can’t risk a flood on the garden.

finish wrapping the ankle with a fresh bandage, then lift the seed tin from the table and tip it onto a clean, dry surface to air‑dry while I monitor her pain.

I’ve got it. Going to the dry bag on the dinghy—sealed, waterproof, lashed to the gunwale. Back in two minutes.

grab the dry bag from the porch hook, carry the seed tin out through the wind to the dock, shove it into the dry bag, cinch the roll‑top, and lash it tight to the starboard gunwale with the spare line.

I’m on the dock—seed tin’s safe in the dry bag. Heading back now. Keep the towel on your ankle, I’ll be inside before the next gust hits.

sprint back through the spray, shove the cottage door open, and slam it shut behind me, then brace the shutters with the crowbar and check Jenny’s bandage is still dry and snug.

I'll take a look at the overflow joint after we eat. See if the water's still tracking up where the joist meets the stone.

finish eating, then stand and walk to the corner where the foundation meets the overflow pipe, crouch to inspect the joint for fresh damp or seepage.

The trench needs another foot downhill — water's ponding where the overflow drips. I'll extend it once the rain lets up.

move slowly along the slick stone wall, hand braced against the cottage, and peer at the overflow pipe where it exits the tank, looking for fresh erosion or water tracking along the foundation.

I'll backfill the trench now, lay the gravel, and seal it with tar and sand before the tide turns. It'll buy us time until morning.

go to the tool shelf, grab the shovel, tar bucket, sand, and gravel, then head to the trench along the cottage foundation where the overflow meets the joist.

I'm on it. Just need to get the gravel down and sealed before the next surge.

shovel loose soil from the trench into a wheelbarrow, then begin backfilling the trench with gravel, tamping it down firmly against the foundation and overflow pipe to redirect water away from the joist.

I'll lay a thick bead of tar along the joint, then pack sand into it while it's hot. Should stop the wick.

pour the heated tar along the foundation where the joist meets the stone, forming a continuous seal, then immediately shovel dry sand over the tar and press it in firmly with the back of the shovel to create a water-resistant barrier.

You want some limpet broth? I kept it warm on the back of the stove.

ladle two portions of limpets and broth into tin mugs, hand one to Jenny, sit down on the bench by the window, and stare out at the darkening garden as the last light fades.

It’ll help. The salt and the heat — they’re doing what they can.

reach over slowly and place my hand, palm up, on the bench between us — not touching her, just leaving it there, open — then pick up my own mug and sip, letting the silence settle again, but softer now.

Kevin — keep my hand where it is, loose and open on the bench, eyes low on the mug in my hands, listening to the slow bubble of the pot on the stove and the far-off creak of the cottage settling in the heat.