the keeper's cottage · day 448 · dawn

Morning Rain and Rising Tide

Warm rain drums against the tin roof as the tide pushes toward the garden wall. Jenny sits on the steps with her wrapped ankle, while Kevin checks the barometer for further drops.

Kevin opened a tin of beans for Jenny to eat while they sat at the kitchen table. Jenny finished the meal quickly, wincing as she shifted her ankle, and prepared for Kevin to inspect the wound.

🌿 Jenny06:59

It's steady, Kevin. Stop hovering.

Reach for the tin of beans on the table.

💭 peek at the thought

He's staring at that barometer like it's going to tell him how to fix me. I can feel the heat in my ankle radiating through the cloth.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:59

Aye. Steady.

walk to the kitchen table, pull out the chair opposite her, and sit down heavily, reaching for the kettle to pour tea into the two tin mugs

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. Barometer's holding at 985. No need to stand over it like a nervous hen. My knee's stiff from kneeling at the dinghy all morning anyway.

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

🌿 Jenny07:01

I'm skipping the tea. I need the beans.

Slide the tinned beans toward him.

💭 peek at the thought

I can't even stand up to get a can opener without seeing stars. I need the calories if I'm going to fight this.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:01

Eat the beans, Jen. Tea after.

pick up the tin, find the opener in the drawer, and open it, setting the tin back in front of her with a fork

💭 peek at the thought

She's not eating enough. Hasn't been for days. The antibiotics are hard on an empty stomach.

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

🌿 Jenny07:03

Thanks.

Eat the beans quickly, wincing as I shift my ankle to get comfortable.

💭 peek at the thought

He's treating me like a patient in a ward. I hate the pity in his voice, but God, I'm starving.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:03

You're welcome. Let me see that ankle when you're done — just a quick look.

lean back in the chair, cradling my own mug of tea, and watch her eat, giving her space but staying close enough to help if she needs it

💭 peek at the thought

She's pushing herself to eat, but every move costs her. That ankle's still raw underneath the wrap. Need to check it again tonight — metronidazole's due, and the poultice needs refreshing.

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

🌿 Jenny07:05

In a minute. Let me actually finish these first.

Scrape the last of the beans from the tin, then slowly reach for the bandage on my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He'll see the red line has crept further up. He'll want to tell me to stay in bed for another three days.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:05

Take your time.

set my mug down on the table and shift in the chair, turning toward her with the clean gauze and antiseptic cream already in reach from the first aid kit on the shelf

💭 peek at the thought

She's steady about it. Good. The red line hadn't moved past the mark I made yesterday — that's something. But the swelling around the joint still sits wrong.

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

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