the keeper's cottage · day 610 · night

Two-hour fever watch

The rain has eased to a steady drum on the roof. Kevin sits at the table with the thermometer and his notebook, the two-hour timer ticking. Jenny lies on the bed, the fresh poultice steaming faintly against her calf, the new incision dressed. The barometer reads 1002 hPa and rising. The tide is low. The supply boat is due in four days.

Jenny rests through the heavy night as the infection in her ankle persists despite the fresh poultice. Kevin inspects the Yanmar engine, confirming the persistent whine is caused by a scored bore in the pump housing.

🔧 Kevin10:13

How's the pain?

check thermometer reading and note in notebook

💭 peek at the thought

Barometer rising means the front's cleared. Four days to the boat. Jenny's fever holds at 38.6 — not climbing, not dropping. The incision drained clean. Two more metronidazole doses left. I'll watch the streaks at the next check.

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

🌿 Jenny10:15

Thumping. Every time I move.

Reach for the water glass on the nightstand, hand shaking as I take a small sip.

💭 peek at the thought

It's a hot pulse under the skin, like a heart trying to get out.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin10:15

Drink it slow. I'll refill when you're done.

wet a fresh cloth and swap it onto her forehead

💭 peek at the thought

Thumping means pressure's still building in the tissues. Hand shake's the fever, not the wound. She needs fluids down before the next dose.

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

🌿 Jenny10:19

Thanks.

Close my eyes, focusing on the rhythm of the throb instead of the red lines in my head.

💭 peek at the thought

The cloth is cold for a second, but the heat is already winning.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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