the keeper's cottage · day 365 · evening

Evening as the tide turns

The sun is dipping behind the overcast clouds as Kevin and Jenny meet for evening meal.

The rain lashes against the cottage roof, a rhythmic drumming that drowns out the distant surf. Inside, the air smells of salt and wood smoke as the two settle for dinner, the lantern light flickering against the damp walls.

🔧 Kevin00:28

Food's ready. Sea beet and mackerel.

Set two plates on the table, scrape the cast iron skillet clean onto them, sit down across from her.

💭 peek at the thought

The injector pump's seated. Four hours to swap it to the spare block if the housing bolts don't snap. She's not eating enough. The red streaks on her ankle haven't faded.

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

🌿 Jenny00:29

Thanks. It smells good.

Pull out the chair with a wince as the weight shifts off my ankle, sit, and pick up a piece of own.

💭 peek at the thought

He looks tired. My ankle is throbbing in time with the rain. I need to tell him before the storm actually hits.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:31

Eat slow. There's more in the pan.

Take the first bite, chew slowly, watch her from the corner of my eye while the rain hammers the porch roof.

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring it worse than this morning. The doxycycline's not catching up.

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

🌿 Jenny00:31

I'm not that hungry, Kevin.

Push a piece of sea beet around my plate, saltiness sharp on my tongue, and keep my ankle tucked under the table to hide the swelling.

💭 peek at the thought

He's watching me. He knows I'm hurting, but I don't want to be the reason we leave this island yet.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:32

You need the calories. Infection burns through them.

Push the second piece of mackerel onto her plate with my fork, keep eating my own.

💭 peek at the thought

Two bites and she'll say she's full. The antibiotic blister pack's empty. No honey left for the wound. She thinks I don't see.

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

🌿 Jenny00:33

I know. I'm eating.

Take a bite of the fish, swallowing against the oily skin, and look out at the rain lashing the window.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always so practical. It's exhausting. I need to tell him about the letter from the trust, but the rain is too loud.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:35

Finish that. Then I'm back to the pump. We've got nine days.

Scrape the last bits of sea beet from the pan onto my plate, stand up, and wipe my hands on my trousers before heading for the workshop shelf.

💭 peek at the thought

She's not lying. One more bite and she'll stop. The injector pump swap won't wait.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny00:35

I'll check the radio after dinner.

Take a way of mackerel, chewing through the salt, and stare at the swelling pulsing under the skin of my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

Nine days. If the boat doesn't come, I'm in trouble with this leg. My own feels like it's on fire.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:36

Check 1400 log first. French trawler said coast guard diverted the supply boat. No ETA.

Pick up the 10mm socket, turn the Yanmar housing bolt on the bench — feel the stripped thread catch, set it back down, reach for the tap set instead.

💭 peek at the thought

She'll check Volmet at 2000 like clockwork. Gale warning still in force. Helicopter window's gone. She knows it.

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

🌿 Jenny00:37

I'll check the log.

Drop my fork with a heavy clatter, stare at the plate, and feel the red heat creeping up my shin.

💭 peek at the thought

Diverted? Of course. The island is taking everything back now. I'm not ready to go yet.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.