the keeper's cottage · day 979 · afternoon

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin attempted to repair the PL-259 connector on the spare coax cable while Jenny examined her ankle wound and found the infection had spread an inch past the previous marker line toward her calf. Kevin administered the first dose of trimethoprim and applied a fresh sea beet-mint-honey poultice to the wound.

🔧 Kevin03:10

Kettle's on. Water's hot if you want to soak the ankle again before I re-dress it.

walk to the wood stove, lift the kettle lid to check the water, then move to the radio shelf and pick up the spare coax with the failed PL-259 connector

💭 peek at the thought

Shoulder's throbbing from hauling the spruce. Need to check the PL-259 on the spare coax before the boat window closes — if the connector's still failing continuity, I'll have to re-crimp or swap the whole run. Jenny's ankle heat line crept past her mark. That's not good. She won't say it, but the infection's not backing down.

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

🌿 Jenny03:11

Yes, thank you. But let me check the wound first - I need to see if the infection boundary has moved past my marking.

walk to the cottage corner where I've set up my field kit, retrieve the magnifying glass from the crate, and examine my ankle with the fresh poultice removed to assess the true condition of the wound.

💭 peek at the thought

Hot water would help with the swelling, but I need to know if this infection is really breaking through the poultice boundary. The heat line feels deeper now, more established. I should check the wound properly with the magnifier - Kevin's offer is practical, but medical assessment comes first.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin03:12

Take your time. I'll check the connector while the water's hot.

set the spare coax on the workbench, pick up the multimeter, and test continuity on the PL-259 connector

💭 peek at the thought

She's thorough. Won't let me minimize it. Good.

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

🌿 Jenny03:12

It's moving, Kevin. The heat is further up.

lean back against the chair, holding the magnifying glass steady over my ankle to trace the edge of the inflammation with a clean finger.

💭 peek at the thought

The redness is definitely past the line. It's angry, pulsing with time. If this doesn't settle before the boat comes, I'm going to be in serious trouble. I can't even walk to the ridge properly.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:14

How far past?

set the multimeter down, wipe hands on a rag, and walk to the chair where Jenny's sitting

💭 peek at the thought

Further up. Past the line. The doxycycline and metronidazole aren't holding it. Trimethoprim's the last broad-spectrum we've got. If this doesn't turn in twenty-four hours, I key the Mayday. No negotiation.

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

🌿 Jenny03:14

An inch, at least. It's climbing toward the calf.

point to the edge of the redness that wasn't there yesterday, then wince slightly as the movement makes the infection throb.

💭 peek at the thought

About an inch. Maybe more. The skin is tight, shiny, and so hot. If it hits the bone, I'm finished for the season.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:16

Right. Trimethoprim course starts now. Two tablets, twelve hours. I'll crush the first dose if you can't swallow whole.

turn to the medical kit on the shelf, pull out the trimethoprim blister pack, pop two tablets into a tin mug, add a splash of water, and crush them with the back of a spoon

💭 peek at the thought

An inch in a day. Lymphangitic spread. The antibiotics we have aren't covering whatever this is. Trimethoprim's the last card. After that — radio the boat, declare medical emergency, hope they can divert a helicopter or fast boat before sepsis takes her. My call. She won't make it.

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

🌿 Jenny03:16

I'll take them whole. Just give me the mug.

take the mug from Kevin, swallow the tablets, and take a long sip of water to wash them down.

💭 peek at the thought

I can swallow them, but my throat is so dry from the heat. I need this medicine to work before the infection gets deeper into my leg.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:18

Fresh poultice going on. Then I'm keying the radio — supply boat check first, then Tom's frequency if the band opens.

move to the crate with the sea beet leaves, mint, and honey, mix a fresh poultice, clean the wound with saline, apply the paste, and wrap it with clean gauze

💭 peek at the thought

Good. She took them without argument. Now the poultice needs changing — fresh sea beet, mint, honey. Heat's the enemy. And I need to get on the radio. Boat's due in five days but if the trimethoprim doesn't show effect by tomorrow midday, I'm calling it in regardless of schedule. Coastguard can task a medevac from the mainland if the boat can't divert.

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.