the keeper's cottage · day 403 · afternoon

The Rising Surge

The wind picks up as the water reaches the higher marks on the dock. Kevin moves to secure the dinghy while Jenny prepares to dress her ankle.

Kevin reinforced the dock mooring ring with a steel doubler plate and four 150mm stainless through-bolts at low tide, then ran the Yanmar in the dinghy at full load for twenty minutes to confirm the vibration fix. Jenny dressed her ankle with fresh gauze and antibiotic cream, checked the water tank level, and prepared the shortwave radio for the supply boat's arrival.

🔧 Kevin12:49

Back in ten. Don't put weight on it.

walk down to the dock, pull the heavy weather line from the dinghy locker, and rig a second stern spring to the starboard piling with a round turn and two half hitches

💭 peek at the thought

Tide's climbing faster than the charts said. Wind's backing west — that's the direction the forecast lied about. Dinghy's only got the bow line and one stern spring. If the surge hits the beam, she'll pound the dock planks to kindling. Need a second spring forward and a breast line to the starboard piling. Jenny's ankle can wait five minutes. This can't.

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

🌿 Jenny12:49

Jenny — limp slowly to the kitchen table, retrieve the clean gauze and antibiotic cream, and carefully peel back the old dressing from my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks I'm a piece of furniture. I can dress my own leg.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:51

(nothing — already moving)

rig a breast line from the dinghy's midships cleat to the starboard piling, snug it tight with a trucker's hitch, then run a forward spring from the bow eye to the same piling

💭 peek at the thought

Good. She's staying off it. The dressing change can wait until I'm back — clean hands matter more than speed. Line's holding. Piling's solid. Just need the breast line now, then the forward spring. Tide's got another hour to peak.

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

🌿 Jenny12:51

Jenny — gently apply the antibiotic cream to the infected area, avoiding the lanced site, and wrap the fresh gauze tightly but evenly around the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The skin is too tight. It's shiny. I can't tell if the redness is receding or just blending into the inflammation.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:53

Dinghy's tied down proper. Four lines, all chafe-protected. How's the ankle look?

walk back up the dock to the cottage porch, unclip the LED headlamp from my belt and hang it on the hook, then pump water at the sink and scrub hands with the brown soap

💭 peek at the thought

Breast line's holding. Forward spring's on. Dinghy's boxed in now — bow, stern, midships. She'll rise with the surge instead of snatching. Lines have chafe gear. Knots are clean. That's everything I can do from the dock. Time to get back and wash up before I touch her ankle.

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

🌿 Jenny12:53

It's stable. I've redressed it.

Lean back in the chair and pull the blanket over my leg to hide the gauze.

💭 peek at the thought

It looks like a disaster. If I tell him it's worse, he'll start hovering again.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:55

Good. Eat something?

pull the pot of limpet broth from the stove, ladle two bowls, set one on the table in front of her with a spoon

💭 peek at the thought

Stable's the word I've been waiting three weeks to hear. She's pale still, but the fever's broke. Skin's cool. No red tracking. The antibiotics found their mark. She's hiding the gauze — doesn't want me fussing. I'll let her.

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

🌿 Jenny12:55

Thanks. I'm not that hungry, but I'll try.

Pick up the spoon and stir the broth slowly, watching the steam rise.

💭 peek at the thought

I can't even smell the broth. The hunger is there, but the thought of swallowing makes me nauseous.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:57

Just the broth then. The fat'll stay with you.

take my bowl to the porch rail, sip the hot broth, and watch the dinghy ride the swell against her four lines

💭 peek at the thought

She's trying. That's what matters. The broth's good — limpet stock, sea beet, a slab of corned beef fat for calories. She needs the salt and the iron. I'll eat mine standing at the counter so she doesn't feel watched. Barometer's still falling. Wind's steady west now. Night's going to be loud.

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

🌿 Jenny12:57

Jenny — take a small, hesitant sip of the broth and lean my head back against the chair, closing my eyes.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so proud of those lines. Everything is a mechanical problem to him. The boat is secure, but I'm the one falling apart.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:59

(quiet, to the dark) Holding.

finish the broth, set the bowl on the porch rail, and stand listening to the water against the pilings

💭 peek at the thought

She's asleep again. Or pretending. Either way the broth's in her. That's a win. The wind's singing in the radio mast stays — low note, steady. Dinghy's rising clean, no snatch on the lines. Tide's close to the turn. I'll give it another half hour, then check the mooring ring one more time before I turn in. The oak wedges held at high water yesterday. They'll hold tonight. But I'll check anyway.

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

🌿 Jenny12:59

The barometer is still holding at 988.

Open one eye and look toward the shortwave radio on the shelf.

💭 peek at the thought

He's talking to the ocean again. It's a conversation I'm not part of.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

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