Day 641

Rising fast. Too fast for calm.

walk to the porch rail, scan the western horizon, hand resting on the radio shelf bracket

Hands still?

step beside her, take the tin and opener from her fingers, open it clean, hand it back

Eat slow.

lean against the porch post, watch the treeline to the west where the wind's starting to move the canopy, key the radio at 0700 on schedule

Cloud's wrong.

lift the radio handset, key the mic — "This is Kevin, position 51.4 North, 9.2 West. Standing by for any traffic. Over." — hold it to my ear, wait

South piling first. Back before the tide turns.

Walk down to the dock at low tide, inspect the south piling for play, re-thread the 10mm stainless rod if movement exceeds five millimetres.

Always am.

Descend the dock ladder to the exposed piling base, test the south piling for lateral play at the waterline, apply torque to the re-threaded 10mm rod if movement exceeds five mill.

—

Complete the south piling check, torque the rod to spec, climb back up the dock ladder, and head straight for the cottage.

Three days out if it left on schedule. Barometer's falling. They don't run in this.

pour two mugs of water from the kettle, set one on the table in front of her

You didn't choose the infection. Eat now.

pull out the tin of corned beef from the pantry, open it with the key, slide the tin toward her with a fork

Radio check at thirteen hundred. If the voice comes through, I'll get coordinates.

sit opposite her at the table, roll a cigarette with practiced fingers, strike a match against the tin's edge

You don't have to. I'll key it.

exhale smoke through my nose, tap ash into the empty tin lid, let the silence stretch

Barometer's still dropping. Wind'll shift west by midnight.

check the wood stove damper and add two split logs from the basket

Here.

take the tin from her, open it with the key, slide it back across the table

Radio check at 1900. If the supply boat's out there, they'll call.

pull the shortwave closer, adjust the squelch, and key the mic at 1900 sharp

They know the window. Captain won't risk the channel in this swell if he can't see the markers.

glance at the barometer, then back to the radio, hand resting on the key

Take the metronidazole. Last two doses in the blister pack.

reach into the medical kit, pull out the metronidazole strip, and set it on the table beside her mug

Copy that. Roof's battened, shutters are shut. Dock's the weak point — north piling takes the surge first when wind backs west. Going to check the lines now.

grab the storm lantern from the shelf, pull the oilskin jacket on, and walk out onto the porch toward the dock

Staying landward. Checking from the cleats, not the piling face. Won't get pinned.

pause at the porch edge, adjust the lantern hood against the rain, then walk down the path to the dock staying on the inshore side of the structure

Ten minutes. Back by the third gust cycle.

reach the dock, crouch at the landward cleat, and check the doubled stern spring tension by hand — feeling for chafe or slack — then move to the bow line and verify the proper slack for swell movement

Lines hold. Collar ring fast. Coming in.

turn from the dock and walk back up the path to the cottage, lantern cutting a weak circle in the driving rain

Kevin — grab the spare tarp and timber strips from the porch, move to the east shutter and batten down the leak point over the radio shelf.

Got it. Lifting the shelf edge — hold the radio steady.

Slide one hand under the radio to take its weight, use the other to tuck the tarp's leading edge up and under the shelf lip, then batten it down with timber strips screwed into the stone above the window.

Pilot holes. Short screws. Won't crack it.

Set the drill to low torque, drill shallow pilot holes in the mortar joints above the shutter, drive 40mm stainless screws with washers through the timber battens into the joints, check the tarp runs clean under the shelf edge with no gaps.