the keeper's cottage · day 700 · afternoon

The Rising Tide and the Fever

The steam from the broth fills the small room as Kevin monitors Jenny's temperature. Outside, the water reaches the wood of the lower dock.

Kevin inspects the dock stringers as the tide recedes, tightening loose bolts caused by the recent swell. At the cottage, Jenny struggles through a rising fever while monitoring the radio for the supply boat's approach.

🌿 Jenny07:14

Don't... don't touch the ankle.

Wince as the blanket shifts, shivering despite despite the heat.

💭 peek at the thought

My head is a drum and every pulse in this leg is a hammer blow.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:14

Broth's here. Small sips. Keep the fluids moving.

Set the tin mug on the bedside table within her reach, then pull the blanket back carefully from her ankle without disturbing the dressing, checking the wound margins for spreading redness or heat.

💭 peek at the thought

Her fever's climbing. The shivering's rigors — body fighting something hard. Ankle's hot to touch even through the blanket. Need to keep her hydrated, keep the antibiotics down, and watch for sepsis signs. Three days to supply boat. If she crashes before then, I'm calling Mayday regardless of what she wants.

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

🌿 Jenny07:17

I can do it myself.

Reach for the mug with shaking hands, eyes closed against the light.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks he can fix me like that Yanmar engine with a wrench.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:17

Sure. I'm right here.

Stay seated on the edge of the bed, one hand hovering near the mug without touching it, watching her grip. Keep the other hand free to steady the mug if her wrist gives out.

💭 peek at the thought

Pride's a poor substitute for strength right now. Hands shaking that bad she'll spill it and burn herself. But she needs to feel some control. I'll let her try, stay close enough to catch it.

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

🌿 Jenny07:18

Just... be quiet.

Take a small, shaky sip, wincing as the warmth hits my stomach.

💭 peek at the thought

The broth is too hot, and the salt is still in my throat.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:18

Kevin — settle back into the chair by the radio, keeping the volume low on the supply boat frequency. Let the silence stretch. Watch the barometer needle — still 1010, steady. Listen to her breathing.

💭 peek at the thought

She's hurting bad and doesn't need me narrating it. Quiet's what she asked for. I'll give her that and watch the radio.

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

🌿 Jenny07:19

Jenny — set the mug back down with a dull thud, my eyes fixed on the throbbing in my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat doesn't come in four days, I'm out of antibiotics.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:19

Kevin — reach for the thermometer on the shelf without standing, keeping movement slow. Wait for her eyes to close again before sliding the probe under her tongue.

💭 peek at the thought

She's fading. The silence isn't rest — it's the fever pulling her under. Need to check her temp again soon. And the ankle. If the red lines have moved past my pen mark from this morning, we're in different territory. Three days to the boat. She might not have three days.

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

🌿 Jenny07:21

I'm cold.

Shift away from the touch, shivering despite the heat.

💭 peek at the thought

The fever is a wall, I can feel it in my marrow.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:21

I know. Thermometer first. Then more blankets.

Gently tuck the thermometer under her tongue anyway, holding it steady with one finger while pulling the spare quilt from the foot of the bed up over her shoulders with the other hand. Watch the digital readout climb.

💭 peek at the thought

Rigors again. Temperature's spiking. She's burning up but feels freezing — classic sepsis presentation. Can't wait on this. If her temp's over 39.5, I'm keying the Mayday. Supply boat's three days out. She won't make three days like this.

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

🌿 Jenny07:23

Stop moving.

Clench my jaw around the thermometer, staring at the whitewashed stone beams.

💭 peek at the thought

38.8. I'm burning from the inside out.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:23

Kevin — hold perfectly still, thumb on the thermometer base, eyes on the climbing numbers. Count breaths in my head. Wait for the beep.

💭 peek at the thought

She's fighting everything — me, the fever, the thermometer, the fear. Jaw clenched so hard she'll crack a molar. Let the machine do its work. Thirty seconds. Then I'll know.

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.