the keeper's cottage · day 870 · afternoon

Approaching Rain

The flat sky finally breaks, and the first heavy drops of rain hit the tin roof.

Kevin debrides Jenny's infected ankle at the cottage while warm rain beats against the roof. He works on stripping the shortwave coax cable as Jenny manages the pain of the poultice application.

🌿 Jenny05:13

Kevin, can you pass me the clean gauze? The rain's breaking and I need to check the poultice.

reach for the medical kit on the kitchen shelf, fingers already itching to unwrap the ankle bandage despite the damp air making everything feel sluggish.

💭 peek at the thought

The rain's finally breaking after that endless pressure - good for the island's plants, terrible for my ankle's healing. I need to check if the poultice is holding or if I need to reapply tonight.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin05:14

Top shelf, left side. Fresh roll.

Hand her the gauze roll from the medical kit without looking up from the coax stripping, fingers steady on the copper braid.

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving slower today. The infection's holding but the humidity's not letting the wound breathe. I should've built that covered drying rack for the gauze weeks ago.

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

🌿 Jenny05:15

Thanks.

take the gauze and sit back on the stool, wincing as the weight shifts on my swollen ankle while I begin to peel the bandage away.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so focused on those wires while my leg is literally rotting in this humidity. At least the gauze is dry, unlike the rest of these floorboards.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:16

Want me to hold the tin steady?

Set the coax down on the bench, wipe hands on a rag, and pick up the broth mug from the table — still warm — sliding it closer to her good side.

💭 peek at the thought

She won't ask me to look at it. Won't ask for help re-wrapping. The pride that kept her alive out here is the same thing that might cost her the foot.

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

🌿 Jenny05:17

Yeah, please. Hold the light steady, I can't see the edge of the redness.

lean back against the whitewashed stone, carefully peeling the damp sea beet poultice away from the infection.

💭 peek at the thought

He's actually trying to be helpful for once, but he doesn't see the sill plate widening. The whole house is a lie.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:18

Kevin — pick up the LED headlamp from the bench, click it on, and hold it steady over her ankle, angling the beam so the shadow of my hand doesn't fall across the wound.

💭 peek at the thought

The red line hasn't moved past her marker. That's something. But the skin around it's white and waterlogged — maceration setting in. Humidity's doing what the infection couldn't.

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

🌿 Jenny05:19

Right there. Stay there.

pick up the tweezers from the kit to clear the debris from the wound, wincing as the cold metal touches the swollen skin.

💭 peek at the thought

At least I can see the damage now. The red is further up than yesterday. If I don't debrided this properly, the humidity is going to win.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:20

Breathing.

Keep the headlamp beam fixed, not moving, not speaking, thumb resting on the mug handle in case she needs it.

💭 peek at the thought

She's good at this. Clinical. Detached from her own flesh like it's an engine she's torn down a hundred times. I've seen her do harder things with less.

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.