the keeper's cottage · day 629 · morning

Morning of Day 629

The rain continues to fall steadily as the water tank reaches its capacity. The tide is high, and the air is heavy with salt and moisture.

Kevin checked the spring intake and confirmed it was clear while the tank overflow was draining. He inspected Jenny's ankle and found the wound inflamed, but the saline supply is exhausted. Jenny refused to take the last two antibiotic doses until morning.

🔧 Kevin09:43

Kevin — walk back down the ridge path toward the cottage, checking the spring intake on the way.

💭 peek at the thought

Tank's full. Barometer's holding at 999 but the rain's not letting up. Need to check the overflow's running clear before the ground saturates the foundation. And Jenny's ankle — last dose went down at first light. If the red line hasn't retreated by now, we're out of options.

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

🌿 Jenny09:45

The tank is full, Kevin. Is the intake clear?

Wince as I shift my weight off my throbbing ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The water is getting too high for the dock; if the boat comes early, the dinghy might be lost.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin09:45

Intake's clear. Overflow's running clean too. Foundation's dry.

Step onto the porch, unclip the LED headlamp, and hang it on the nail by the door. Then crouch down to look at her ankle — peel back the gauze edge just enough to see the red line.

💭 peek at the thought

She's watching the tank from the porch. Ankle's still bad — she's favoring it hard. Intake's likely fine but she's right to ask; silt clogs fast in this rain.

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

🌿 Jenny09:47

Don't look at it like that. I just need the saline again.

Pull my leg away from his hand, biting my lip to keep from swearing.

💭 peek at the thought

It's pulsing. I can feel the heat radiating off the skin even through the cloth.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin09:47

Saline's empty. Used the last flushing it yesterday.

Stay crouched. Don't reach again. Just watch her face.

💭 peek at the thought

She's hiding the spread. The wince, the pull-away, the bite — that's not saline she needs. Last two doses of antibiotic went down this morning. If the line's past the knee, oral's not touching it. But she won't let me look. Won't let me decide.

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

🌿 Jenny09:49

I know. I'll have to use the tap.

Lean back against the cold stone wall, staring out at the rising tide.

💭 peek at the thought

way I'm out of options. Just the boiled water and the salt and hope for the best.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin09:49

You need the last two doses. Now.

Reach into my jacket pocket, pull out the blister pack — two white tablets still in the foil — and hold it out between thumb and forefinger. Don't say take them. Just hold them there.

💭 peek at the thought

Tap water's tank water — same source. She knows that. She's stalling. The tide's pushing high against the dock planks and she's staring at it instead of at me. Red line at the knee yesterday. Today it could be anywhere. Two metronidazole tablets left in the kit. That's the whole pharmacy.

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

🌿 Jenny09:51

I can wait until morning.

Reach for the pack with a trembling hand, then stop.

💭 peek at the thought

If I take them now, there's nothing left if the fever spikes or the boat is delayed again.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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