The tide is at its peak. The trade wind remains steady as they prepare for the night before the boat arrives.
Kevin spent the evening monitoring the shortwave radio but failed to catch any updates on the supply boat. Jenny applied a fresh poultice to her ankle and checked the garden for crab damage while the tide receded.
🔧 Kevin14:54
Radio check at 0600. If Mendez doesn't answer, I'll key the Mayday frequency.
Check the ditch bag by the loft ladder — medevac forms, letter to Tom, spare impeller, notebook, seed tin E all sealed.
💭 peek at the thought
Tide's high. Wind steady east. Boat's two days out if Mendez's engine holds. Jenny's ankle heat hasn't broken — metronidazole should've kicked by now. Need to check the trench overflow at first light before the clay saturates further.
nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b
🌿 Jenny14:55
Keep the radio on the charger. I'll monitor the garden tarp one last time.
Apply a fresh poultice to the ankle and check the moisture levels in the rain tank.
💭 peek at the thought
The infection is deepening, but the salt water and antibiotic are holding for now. If the boat doesn't show up in two days, the sea beet seeds will rot in this heat. I need to keep the heirloom seeds dry before the humidity ruins them.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it
🔧 Kevin14:56
Wake me if the wind backs west.
Set the shortwave to 2182 kHz, volume low, charger connected. Strip down to shirt and lie on the bunk, boots off, knife on the shelf within reach.
💭 peek at the thought
She's moving slower than yesterday. Limping heavier on the left. The poultice won't hurt but it's not what she needs — IV antibiotics, a surgeon, a clean bed. Radio stays charged. I'll wake at 0400 for the tide turn and check the trench.
nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b
🌿 Jenny14:57
Jenny — wrap the ankle in a clean cloth and pull the seed tin from under the bed to feel the cold metal.
💭 peek at the thought
He thinks the wind is the only thing that matters, but it's the pressure in my leg that's killing me. I'm too tired to even finish the sketch.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it
🔧 Kevin14:58
Kevin — close eyes. Listen to the tide slap the foundation rocks, the wind in the tarp battens, her breathing across the room.
💭 peek at the thought
She's holding the tin E. Turned it over in her hands at the shrine yesterday too. Whatever's in it — or isn't — she's deciding something. The cloth wrap's clean but the gauze underneath'll be soaked through by morning. Should've changed it at 2200. I'll wake at 0200 anyway.
nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b
🌿 Jenny14:59
(Quiet)
Trace the rusted 'E' on the tin with a thumb, imagining the garden full instead of weeds.
💭 peek at the thought
If the boat doesn't come, I'll have to plant them anyway, even if the soil is salt. way would hate this.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it
🔧 Kevin15:01
Kevin — count the waves against the rocks — one hundred and twelve now.
💭 peek at the thought
Garden full. She's thinking of the sensory beds we never built, the tomatoes climbing where the weeds are now. That 'E' tin's been her talisman since we found it. Should've pressed harder about the medevac forms last week while she still had strength in her legs. Tide's still holding. I'll check the trench when the wind shifts.
poolside/laguna-xs-2.1
🌿 Jenny15:01
(A heavy sigh)
Tighten the lid on the seed tin and try to sleep through the throbbing in my ankle.
💭 peek at the thought
One hundred and twelve days of this, and I'm still just waiting for a boat that might not show up.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it
🔧 Kevin15:02
Kevin — shift on the bunk, pull the blanket over my shoulders, hand resting on the knife hilt.
💭 peek at the thought
She's fighting sleep. The throb's keeping her awake — I can hear the hitch in her breath every few seconds. Metronidazole's not touching the deep infection. If the boat doesn't make it in two days, I'm calling the coast guard whether she signs the form or not. Tide's at the turn. Wind steady. Radio charged. 0400 comes fast.
nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b
🌿 Jenny15:03
( way)
Turn away from the window and listen to the radio hum in the dark.
💭 peek at the thought
He thinks he's being helpful, but the weight doesn't stop the pulsing. I just want to wake up somewhere where I can actually grow something that doesn't die.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it
🔧 Kevin15:04
Kevin — let the rhythm of the tide pull me under.
💭 peek at the thought
Radio hum's the only sound between waves. She's listening for Mendez's engine note, or Tom's voice, or anything that isn't this island. The static's a kind of company. My watch reads 0217. Two hours until I check the trench. My hand's still on the knife.
nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b
🌿 Jenny15:05
(Quiet)
Reach for the tin on the nightstand, feeling the cold metal against my palm.
flagged: repeated_opener
💭 peek at the thought
If the boat doesn't come in two days, I'll have to use the last of the antibiotic. I can't let it spread.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it
🔧 Kevin15:06
Kevin — slide out of the bunk, boots on silent, knife in pocket. Open the door onto the porch.
💭 peek at the thought
0217. She's still awake. The tin's a compass she keeps checking — same coordinates every time, hoping they'll read different. My fingers are numb on the knife hilt. Tide's turning. I should check the trench now, not wait for 0400. But if I move she'll know I've been listening to her not sleep.
nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b
🌿 Jenny15:07
(No sound)
Lean against the whitewashed stone and look out at the dark curve of the cove.
💭 peek at the thought
The air is still warm, smelling of salt and kelp. I need to see the horizon one more time before I give in to sleep.
google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it