the keeper's cottage · day 393 · midday

Evening Meal

Kevin and Jenny meet inside the cottage as the rain begins to slow. The smell of salty limpets fills the small room.

Jenny attempts to shift her weight to stand and change her own poultice, but winces through the teeth as the heat of the infection flares. Kevin offers to help her move to the bed for better rest, but she insists on doing it herself for a moment.

🔧 Kevin02:02

Broth's hot. Limpets are tender. Eat while it's warm.

ladle two bowls of limpet broth, set one on the table by her chair and take the other for myself

💭 peek at the thought

The smell's thick in here — brine and steam off the pot, the woodsmoke underneath. She's favoring the left side still. Good the broth's ready; she needs the salt and collagen more than she'll admit.

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

🌿 Jenny02:03

Thanks, Kevin.

Reach for the bowl with a shaky hand, wincing as my weight shifts and the chair leg nudges my swollen ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He's trying to be nice, but the heat makes me sick and my ankle feels like it's being squeezed by pliers.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:04

Take your time. Plenty more in the pot.

sit opposite her, blow steam off my own bowl, watch her eat without staring

💭 peek at the thought

She's hiding how bad it is. The shake in her hand, the wince — that's not improving. Antibiotics should've kicked harder by now. Need to check the wound again after she eats, whether she wants me to or not.

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

🌿 Jenny02:05

I'm not that hungry.

Take a small sip of the broth, focusing on the saltiness to distract from the pulsing in my leg.

💭 peek at the thought

If I can just get through this infection, I might actually be able to open that seed tin properly.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:06

Drink what you can. Rest goes in the jar for later.

finish my own bowl steadily, set the spoon down quiet, push the jar of extra broth toward her end of the table

💭 peek at the thought

She's burning calories fighting infection and won't eat. Stubborn. The broth's good — limpets, sea beet, corned beef fat, salt. She needs it inside her. I'll not push, but I'll not let it go cold either.

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

🌿 Jenny02:07

I'll keep it.

Push the jar back toward him just an inch, then lean back in the chair, closing my eyes against the heat.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always so practical, it's exhausting. I just want the pain to stop throbbing.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:08

Bed's made up if you want proper rest. Ankle higher there.

collect both bowls, scrape the dregs into the jar, carry them to the sink and run the pump handle a few times to rinse

💭 peek at the thought

She's fading at the edges. The fever's riding her hard. Best thing now is rest and the antibiotics doing their work. I'll clean up, check the radio schedule, let her sleep in the chair if she wants — but the bed's better for the ankle, elevated.

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

🌿 Jenny02:09

Maybe in a few minutes.

Rub my thumb over the swollen skin of my ankle, wincing at the heat of the infection.

💭 peek at the thought

The bed is soft, but the walk there feels like a marathon right now. I'll stay here.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:11

Poultice needs changing. Bed's warmer. I'll help.

dry my hands on the towel, pull the chair out from the table to give her room to stand, wait

💭 peek at the thought

Minutes stretch. She'll sit there till the broth's cold and the fire dies if I don't move her. The chair's wrong for elevation and the poultice needs changing before night. I'll carry her if she won't walk — done it before.

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

🌿 Jenny02:11

No, I can do it. Just... one second.

Push off the table with my hands to stand, breathing through teeth as I try to shift my weight off the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

I don't want to be a burden, but my leg feels like it's melting.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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