Winter's Tale

by Queenafoster

Crane is forced to deal with multiple challenges at home while snowed in

Winter's Tale

Crane answered his overprotective brother on the phone with patience. "Everybody's fine. The snow is amazing, but we're all fine. We've got about two feet, I guess-deeper in places with the drifts. We haven't tried to get out in the truck with the roads so bad. This morning, Daniel, Evan, and Guthrie took the tractor out with hay and feed for the pastures, and Daniel was having trouble getting traction and turning even with that monster. It's a mess here, but we're doing good otherwise...

"No... Adam, no. Don't come home. Fact is, I don't know that you could get here anyway with the roads like this. Even with the Jeep in four wheel drive, I don't think I'd try it...

"Adam, you and Hannah never got a honeymoon. Heck, you never even had a wedding. So stay in Carmel and enjoy yourselves. It's just snow; a lot of it, true, but nothing we haven't seen before. We have plenty of food, the phone works, and the power's still on. And even if we lose that, we've got dry firewood by the truck load. Enjoy yourselves! We'll see you when you get back next week. You guys deserve this...

"Okay. Take care. We love you. Bye."

Crane closed his eyes in relief and hung up the phone. He shook his head at the mother hen that occasionally inhabited the body of his oldest brother. Although, he couldn't really blame him. After losing their parents, Adam had taken on a huge responsibility in raising his younger brothers. A decade later, it was deeply ingrained in him that he needed to watch over all of them. Still. At this point, he really couldn't help himself anymore.

And truly, after losing their parents, it was a subtle undertone that ran through every one of the McFaddens. They all knew how quickly loved ones could be lost, how fast safety and security could be snatched away. In the blink of an eye, the most important people in the world could be gone. None of them took anyone for granted. Something to be said for that...not wasting time and not wasting people. Taking each day as it came and seizing every moment. Letting each other know they were loved and needed and appreciated.

He glanced out the window and saw Ford in the corral. With the heavy snowfall, the family's horses were being kept in the barn for the time being, but pretty soon, they would be restive and wanting out. They needed space to be able to move around. Ford was making sure the heavy snow and ice hadn't damaged the corral and that the horses would be safe and secure when turned out. Brian was in the comparative warmth of the barn feeding the horses and the rest of the stock in there at the moment-making sure there was plenty of hay and feed for them and that the straw was in good shape.

And Crane was working on the accounts. Of all of them, he was probably the most comfortable physically right now, but all he really wanted was to get outside with his brothers. Glancing back down at the rows and columns, he decided the books could wait 'til later, and he got up to put on his cold weather gear.

Glancing up as sudden movement outside caught his eye, he saw Ford hurry into the barn, and Crane waited to see if anything further developed before he moved. In just a couple seconds, he saw Ford pop back out and look toward the house as he heard his name yelled out in Ford's clear tenor.

"CRANE! COME QUICK! BRIAN'S HURT!"

Crane grabbed his coat and was pulling it on as the door slammed behind him. Ford had already disappeared back inside the barn as he moved across the yard and vaulted the fence. Hurrying inside, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness after the bright white of the snowy meadows.

"Ford? Brian? Where are you guys?"

"Back here, Crane! Hurry!"

Moving to the back of the barn, Crane came upon an ugly sight. Ford was kneeling down beside Brian who was clutching his left thigh and grunting in pain. Looking at the leg, Crane could see one of the tines of a pitchfork poking out of the denim covered leg about half way between the hip and knee.

"What happened?" Crane kneeled down to make a closer inspection of the wound.

Brian was gritting his teeth against the pain and breathing rapidly through his mouth. "I was trying to pull that crate out from the wall and lost my hold. I tripped and landed on the fork. Geez, this hurts! Pull it out!"

Ford quickly moved to stop Brian from touching the pitch fork. "NO! No, we don't take it out yet. What if we pull it and you bleed to death? We've got to have some supplies before we do that. Crane, run up to the house and get the first aid kit. And pull out a couple of old t-shirts from the rag bag, will you?"

Crane eyed Ford in surprise and then shot his gaze over to Brian who also seemed impressed by the tone of command in their younger brother's voice. Ford was just fifteen, but he wasn't hesitating in taking control of the situation. In fact, when his request wasn't taken up quickly enough, he sent an order on its heels.

"Crane, go! Hurry!"

"Yeah, Crane, go! This hurts!" Brian was evidently ready to trust their younger brother at this point.

Crane hurried back to the house. On the way, he briefly considered Ford's take charge attitude. Maybe this was the role he'd been searching for...medic. Rushing into the kitchen to get the requested items, Crane had a few seconds to think about this young brother who was usually gentle, quiet, and shy. He was good with animals, but he recognized that he would always be second to Evan in that regard. Maybe this was because his calling would be to take care of the human animals that inhabited the Circle Bar Seven.

Shortly, Crane was dropping down beside his brothers in the barn again-with the requested items. Brian was calmer, but it was clear that he was enormously uncomfortable.

Ford was now on the opposite side from the pitchfork. He took the kit and opened it up beside him. Crane watched as his brother picked up the scissors and quickly sliced Brian's jeans away from the injury. Then he opened several packages of gauze and placed them within easy reach. He looked up at Crane.

"All right. I'm gonna turn him on his side toward me. You move the fork with him. When we get him stable, I'm gonna grab the gauze and get ready. When I give the signal, you pull the fork out-quick. Okay?"

Brian's strained voice added to the demand. "Yeah, Crane, make it real quick. Don't be gentle! It'll just hurt worse if it's slow!"

Ford nodded in agreement. "I'll be ready with the gauze to try and stop any bleeding. Let's just hope it isn't bad." He looked down at Brian. "Are you ready to turn?"

Brian nodded quickly and decisively, "Let's just do it."

Working together, they rolled Brian to his right side despite the grunts and groans. Once he was steady, Ford released his hold and grabbed two handfuls of gauze. When he was ready, he looked across to Crane. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

Crane planted his boot on Brian's butt and pulled. He was surprised by the amount of force it took to pull the fork free. Brian cried out in pain, and his head dropped to the floor of the barn. In a blink, Ford had the two wounds covered with gauze and was holding steady pressure. He glanced up to check Brian. "He's out."

Crane dropped the pitchfork and ran a hand over Brian's brow as he leaned over to check on him. Even out cold, he could see the discomfort on his face. He looked back down to where Ford was holding the gauze over the wounds. "Well?"

Ford shook his head, "I don't want to let up on the pressure to check. But he's not soaked through the gauze yet, so we know he didn't hit a major artery or vein. If he'd done that, we might not have been able to stop the bleeding. We're lucky there."

Crane eyed his younger brother. Clearly he had studied and knew his first aid. Crane decided to test him. "What would you have done?"

Ford shrugged minutely and winced, "There's a tourniquet in here and a suture kit. We'd have put the tourniquet on if he was bleeding real bad. That might have stopped it. If it didn't, I could use the sutures. Hannah once showed me how to tie them on a roast before she put it in the oven."

Crane felt a smile on his face. "I didn't know that. How long have you been working on this, Doctor Welby?"

Ford rolled his eyes wryly in embarrassment. "I don't know. Hannah's been teaching those first aid courses, so I asked her to teach me, too."

"I didn't know you were interested in this kind of thing, Ford."

Ford looked back down at Brian's leg and just shrugged in response.

"I think it's kind of great. And we can certainly use your new skills. This is gonna come in real handy, Ford. Brian and I are just lucky you were here instead of out with the others."

Ford glanced up and flashed a shy grin of appreciation for Crane's praise but quickly turned serious again. "Well, we're not out of the woods yet. Let's see what we've got here."

He briefly lifted one corner of the gauze covering the top wound on Brian's leg. Crane stretched to view it and saw a moderate amount of bright scarlet blood discoloring the bandage. Ford pushed it back down and continued to hold pressure, then he pulled himself up to his knees to do the same inspection of the wound on the back of the leg.

"This doesn't seem to be too bad. Grab one of those t-shirts and fold it into thirds. Wrap it around his leg." Between them, they pressed the folded t-shirt around the leg to hold the gauze in place.

"Now, take the other t-shirt, and we'll use it to tie this all together to keep the pressure steady while we carry him up to the house."

Shortly, they had a passable bandage tied around Brian's leg that would hopefully control the bleeding as they moved him inside. Crane got behind Brian and grasped him under the arms and around the chest. Ford grabbed the first aid kit and then tucked a leg inside each arm. Together, they moved the still unconscious Brian into the house. They gently laid their burden down on the sofa.

Immediately, Ford checked the bandage which didn't show further bleeding. Then he moved up and placed his hands on either side of Brian's pale face. "Brian? Brian?" He glanced up at Crane. "Get me a cold, wet washcloth."

Crane moved to do his bidding. It still seemed a bit surreal that Ford had taken charge, but he appeared confident in his abilities. Crane knew how to treat Brian's injury and could have done it himself, but if this was the role Ford was searching for, he wanted to allow his younger brother the room to meet the challenge. And four hands on board were certainly better than two. When he brought the cool cloth back, Ford immediately applied it to Brian's forehead.

"Come on, Brian. Wake up for me."

Shortly, he stirred and blinked up at both of them. Confusion reigned briefly, then his face crumbled as he let out a deep breath of discomfort. "That really hurt, Crane."

"Worse than having a pitchfork stuck in your leg?"

"For a second there, yeah."

"And then?"

"And then... then... uhh..."

"Then you passed out."

"Did not."

"Did, too."

"Well, I don't really remember, so..."

Crane and Ford both smiled at the amiable bickering that was a balm and comfort to all the McFaddens. It signaled that they were getting back on level ground.

Younger brother took over again, "Well, how's it feel right now?"

Brian blinked in surprise at the t-shirt bandage. "Better. How'd it look after you pulled it out?"

Ford waggled his hand back and forth. "Not too bad. The bleeding wasn't too terrible, so that's good. But we're still gonna have to clean it though. Clean it good. And that's gonna hurt."

Brian looked back down at the leg with resigned reluctance. "Yeah."

Ford turned back to Crane. "We should probably try to get him upstairs to the bathroom. The tub would probably be the best place to clean it to keep from making a mess."

"Good idea." Crane eyed the staircase and then his older brother. "Looks like it'll be mostly you and me getting you up those stairs. I don't think it's wide enough for one of us on each side."

Brian turned to look as well and sighed, " If you put me on the side of the banister, I should be able to help hold myself up while you've got the other side. And Hawkeye Pierce, here, can bring up the rear and make sure my leg doesn't get banged up by your big feet and bowed legs."

Crane grinned and looked back to Ford. "How's that plan sound to you, Trapper?"

Ford smiled at both of them, "Good as any. You guys ready?"

Crane and Brian shrugged, and shortly, the three of them were moving in the direction of the stairs.

Ford piped up just as they made the bottom step, "This sure is easier than carrying you in from the barn."

Brian's voice was a bit strained but still carried a note of teasing, "Speak for yourself, Doc."

It took longer than Crane hoped, but still, they managed to get Brian up the stairs and into the bathroom in a few minutes. He and Ford assisted Brian in removing his jeans but left the t-shirt bandage in place for the moment. Crane went to get Brian a clean, long sleeve undershirt to sleep in while Ford picked out the supplies he needed to clean the wound.

The cleaning involved pouring iodine in both the top and bottom wounds. Crane assisted Brian in flipping in the tub to allow the liquid to dwell in both areas. After that, Ford poured peroxide in both wounds as well. Brian tolerated the procedure with a few deep breaths, clamped jaws, and a fair amount of sweat that Crane wiped off with a cool washcloth. When it was over, Brian was pale and breathing hard, and Ford looked whipped. Crane felt pretty worn himself. Fortunately, though, the ordeal had not induced much more bleeding, and Ford applied clean gauze to both wounds and wrapped the thigh with a large ace bandage.

"I'm sorry, Brian. I know that hurt, but all the bacteria in the barn and on that fork..."

Brian pried open his eyes and shook his head at their younger brother. "Ford, I'm just glad it was you and not this guy. No telling what he might have done to me. I might have woken up to find my leg tied up with pink ribbons."

Crane grinned in response to the tease. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you? Just because I thought our room would look better with more color on the walls..."

Ford breathed a laugh as he eyed both of them, "When was this?"

Crane looked back at their younger brother who was still shaken by what he'd had to do to clean Brian's leg. "When I was four."

Brian's face was the picture of shock. "Four? You mean fourteen!" That broke the tension as all three of them laughed.

Ford took charge again, "If you're ready, Brian, why don't we try to get you into Adam and Hannah's room so you can get some rest? It's got the biggest bed, and it's near the bathroom, and I think you'll be more comfortable there."

Brian nodded his agreement, and they soon had him moved to the room at the head of the stairs. Crane had to tease him just to get him back. "I swear, Brian, I'm putting you on a diet. My back's never gonna be the same."

"No diet for me, man. This is all muscle. The ladies love it!"

Ford drew the drapes to darken the room. "Why don't you try to get some sleep, huh? I don't think ladies are going to be an issue for a few days, so you'll have to see them in your dreams."

Crane couldn't let that pass, "That's the only place he has any luck anyway."

Brian probably would have thrown a pillow at him if he'd been able to reach it, but Ford had him so well tucked in that he couldn't manage to grab one. They turned off the lights and stood in the door.

Ford called to him, "Get some rest. We'll be checking on you, so don't try to get up on your own. I don't want you to walk on that leg by yourself."

"Yeah, Doc. I hear you." No argument. That might well have been the best indicator of all just how much this had taken out of him.

After they shut the door, Crane pulled Ford into a hug. "You were amazing, Ford."

Ford glowed under the praise, but shrugged, "I just did what anyone would have done." Ford winced briefly as they walked down the stairs. "But we need to talk to Doctor Meade. And maybe go to town."

"For antibiotics?"

Ford nodded, "Yeah, just in case I didn't get the wound as clean as it needs to be, and I'd like to see if there's anything else we need to do when we change the bandage. I know his tetanus is up to date, but..."

Crane was awfully proud of him for thinking of that on his own and draped an arm around the slender shoulders. "That's a good idea. Why don't you call the doctor while I see if I can't find the boys?"

Ford headed to the phone as Crane moved towards the kitchen door. Just as he placed a hand on the knob, the overhead lights went out. He turned and looked at Ford who had just reached the desk. "Check the phone. We may still have service even though we've lost power."

Ford picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. He listened briefly and jiggled the switch hook then cradled it. "Looks like we lost 'em both."

Crane let out a deep sigh. No power or phone just made everything more complicated. "Keep trying. It might come back on." He went out on the porch and looked over the pastures, wondering when Daniel, Evan, and Guthrie would return. They had been gone for several hours which should have been time enough to complete the job, but the deep snow made driving the tractor difficult. He smiled briefly remembering the teasing Daniel had received just trying to get out of the yard that morning.

Moving around the porch to the front of the house, he thought he could hear the low growl of the tractor engine, and he finally spotted it coming out of the trees north of the house. Not the direction he expected, but that sometimes happened. As he watched the tractor coming closer, he squinted to make out the figures of his brothers.

Something didn't seem right. Crane finally decided his eyes must be playing tricks on him with the bright whiteness of the snow. If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn that Guthrie was driving because the two on the trailer sure looked like Daniel and Evan. As the tractor gradually grew larger on its approach to the barn, Crane started laughing because what he first took for mistake was true. Guthrie was driving.

Crane moved back to the door to get Ford. "Come out here. You gotta see this." They pulled on their jackets again and headed down to the barn to meet the rest of their brothers.

Ford was chuckling as Guthrie eased the tractor into its spot under the shed. Crane laughed, too, as Daniel and Evan tried to control their sheepish grins.

Crane started, "Well, well. What have we here? Driving without a license, young man?"

Guthrie turned around and smiled proudly. He shrugged, "What can I say? These two couldn't handle this much machine, so I had to take over."

Crane and Ford turned to the others in silent request for explanation.

Evan threw up his hands in a shrug. "He's right."

Daniel's grin was wry. "Let's just say that me and Evan weren't getting anywhere very fast, and he wanted to try. Turns out he was able to do it better than we could, so he took over the driving."

Guthrie grinned, "They just kept getting stuck every time they put the gas to it. This baby needs a gentle touch, and I was tired of digging!"

They shared a laugh at the different capabilities they all had. Then Crane informed them of Brian's injury and Ford's newly discovered talents; that put a damper on the high spirits.

Guthrie looked worried, "Is Brian gonna be okay?"

Ford answered, "I think so. It's not bleeding bad, but there's all kinds of bacteria in the barn and especially on the pitchforks. And it went through and through. I cleaned it out the best I knew how, but it could still get infected. And if it does, we could be in big trouble."

Guthrie looked around at the brothers uneasily and then eyed Ford again. "What kind of trouble?"

Ford hesitated, but he finally met their eyes. "Worst case, he could get gangrene. If that happens, he could lose his leg. Or he might die from blood poisoning."

Crane had known all that, but hearing Ford say it out loud made it difficult to avoid thinking about. "So, we tried to call Doctor Meade, but we just lost power and the phone. We also talked about going into town to get some antibiotics, but with the roads being so bad, I think we're going to have to go on horseback. The truck isn't great in snow anyway, and if we got into a snow bank, we might not be able to get the truck or the tractor back out. Then we'd be stuck out in this mess on foot. If we're on horseback, we can go cross country." He looked at the others, and they all nodded agreement. Evan headed into the barn to saddle a couple of horses.

Daniel eyed the rest of them. "Me and Evan'll be ready to go in just a bit."

Crane shook his head, "Daniel, I want you to stay here with Ford and Guthrie."

Ford interrupted, "I need to talk to Doctor Meade."

Daniel piped up again, "Crane, you need to stay here and take charge of everything."

Crane held up his hands to stop them both and turned to his younger brother first. "Look, Ford, if something weird happens with Brian, I need the best man for the job to handle it. You've proven that you can do it. You kept a cool head and did everything possible for Brian. I need you here to make sure that everything that needs to be done is done.

"Daniel, you guys have already been out in this weather all morning. If we had any other choice, none of you would be going. Out in this cold, you get worn out a lot quicker-you know that. It saps your strength and stamina. I'm not gonna let both of you go back out in this weather without any rest."

"Crane-"

"If it were safe to go alone, I would. Since I can't, I need you to stay here to watch over things and make sure Ford has everything he needs to take care of Brian. I'll take care of Evan, and he'll take care of me."

Crane turned back to Ford, "How about you write down exactly what happened and what we did to clean his leg. How much blood he lost and everything. I'll give it to Doctor Meade. We'll get written instructions on what to do next, any supplies we need, and the antibiotics."

Ford looked dissatisfied with the plan, but he reluctantly agreed.

Crane turned to Guthrie, "Can you make me and Evan some sandwiches to eat on the way?"

Guthrie nodded, and he and Ford hurried up to the house, leaving Crane and Daniel alone.

Daniel started, "Crane, me and Evan can do this. You oughta stay here; the boys're gonna be looking to you. They don't want me in charge. Especially Ford."

Crane sighed and placed his hands on Daniel's shoulders. "I meant what I said. I wouldn't even be taking Evan with me if it was safe otherwise. This is going to be a hard trip, and Evan's better on a horse than any of us so he's gotta be the one."

"Crane, if something serious happens with Brian, I'm not gonna remember everything to do. At least I know how to ride into town and give the doc a piece of paper."

"Ford will take care of Brian. He didn't panic at all. He was in complete control of the whole situation-never hesitated. You just need to be there to reassure him and help him if he needs it. I know he can do this; you'll see when he gets back to Brian. Just be there for him. And keep Guthrie from getting underfoot if he gets anxious-you know how he can be when someone's sick or hurt. Just keep things on an even keel around here. We'll be back in a few hours."

Daniel searched his face looking for any break in the argument but evidently found none. He dropped his gaze and kicked the ground then nodded agreement. "I'll finish saddling the horses. You and Evan go on up and get ready."

Crane cupped Daniel's neck in gratitude. "I'm counting on you." He turned and called out, "Evan! Come on up to the house. Daniel's gonna finish the horses. You need to get something to drink and warm up a bit before we head out."

Evan came out from the barn, "I'm almost done anyway. I put my saddle on Salty."

Crane blinked in surprise. "He's kind of feisty. Sure you want him on a tough ride like this?"

Evan shrugged, "Salty's a lot bigger than Diablo, and even though he can be squirrely sometimes, I think his size and strength will be more important. We don't know what kind of snow drifts we might get into. Plus, this might work out some of his energy, and he'll be easier to deal with later."

Crane draped an arm across his younger brother's shoulders, "That's why you're in charge of the horses. Always thinking about how to get the best out of them."

Evan glowed with the praise, "Yeah, just remember you said that if something happens to Brian's horse. You'll have to plead my case when he tries to kill me."

"Right now, he's not in any shape to do anything except yell. And since you're doing all this for him, he'd best know to keep his yap shut and just be grateful."

Together they walked into the kitchen where Guthrie was putting the finishing touches on the sandwiches. They headed upstairs and separated, Evan toward the bathroom and Crane to put on his heavy, cold-weather gear. Shortly, they were grabbing the food on their way out the door.

Daniel had the horses waiting on the ranch road. He still looked unhappy with the plan, but he didn't raise any more objections. "You two be careful. Try to be back before dark, huh?"

Crane knew it was almost two o'clock. "I hope to get to town in about an hour, see the doc, and then get home in another hour. I hope we'll be back by five anyway."

Daniel nodded briefly, his eyes saying much more.

Crane responded to his displeasure gently. "Take care of things."

"I will."

With that send off and waves from Ford and Guthrie on the steps, Crane turned his horse and followed Evan out of the yard, heading toward town.

Over the course of the ride, Crane and Evan talked about Brian's injury and how Ford had taken charge. Then they moved on to what the boys had seen in the pastures that morning and how the cattle were fairing in the extreme weather. Evan thought they would do okay as long as they had a steady supply of hay and feed as they were unable to forage for grass through the deep snow.

Throughout the conversation, Crane was noticing how hard it was going through the snow for both horses. Evan had been smart to bring Brian's big gelding instead of his own horse, but even he was having some trouble with the drifts. It was difficult to know where the snow was deepest as the natural terrain had been erased, and all that really stood out were the trees. They moved along in single file with one breaking trail for a length of time and then the other would give the first a breather. Throughout the trip, though, his own horse, Gypsy, was jumpy and skittish. He had trouble getting her to settle down the entire trip.

Finally, the edges of town came into view, and Crane breathed a sigh of relief. They headed to the Murphys Medical Clinic, and he was surprised to find a few people had made it in to work-including Doctor Walter Meade.

With few patients able to reach the office, he saw them immediately and reacted with concern when Crane described Brian's injury. He asked for specific details, and Crane handed him Ford's write-up of the accident and subsequent treatment. Doctor Meade read through it then asked Crane for his opinion on the injury. After listening to everything, he began collecting supplies and medicine and then sat down and wrote out detailed instructions on how to dress the wounds and take the medications. When he was done, Crane put everything in his saddlebag. He and Evan thanked the doctor, sent their best to his family, and headed back to their horses.

Crane hated being back out in the frigid air. The wind had picked up considerably since they'd gone inside and with it came the clouds. All in all, it seemed colder to him, and he shivered walking to their horses. As they left the clinic, he noted it was half past three. With any luck, they'd be home in an hour.

The wind was in their faces as they got back to the crossing over Indian Creek. The bridge was completely iced over and treacherous even to walk across. Coming in, Crane had counted their blessings they had not tried to drive the truck or tractor. He and Evan had dismounted and walked the horses over one at a time, so that if one spooked, it wouldn't cause problems with the other. This was the course they followed heading home as well.

Crane watched as Evan led Salty who had been remarkably well behaved the entire journey. Crane wasn't sure if it was because the horse was working so hard on the difficult trip or because Evan had such a way with animals. Whatever it was, he sure wasn't complaining, and he'd not likely question Evan regarding horse management again.

He tugged Gypsy's reins to get her moving. She was still agitated even after the stop at the clinic. She usually did okay in snow, but maybe it was the depth of the snow or that she couldn't get a good idea of the terrain. Maybe it was Crane's own worry about Brian being transmitted to her. At any rate, she'd been problematic from the start, and she didn't like this slippery bridge one bit.

Just past the halfway point of the crossing, a huge crash sounded close by. In the back of his mind, Crane identified it as a tree coming down under the extra weight of the ice and snow, but he was more occupied trying to calm his suddenly terrified mare as she reared and kicked out at him in her fright. He let the reins slide through his hands to allow her to rear up safely, and she crashed back down closer to him than before. As soon as her hooves hit the bridge, she broke into a gallop and shoved him into the railing. As she went by, he felt himself pushed back and off his feet, going over the railing backwards, remembering that the creek was mostly frozen about twenty feet below him. Somewhere in his head, survival instincts kicked in, and he desperately reached out for the railing as he fell.

"CRANE!"

Over the sound of his own rapid breaths, he heard Evan's yell, but his reality had reduced to breathing and hanging on. It seemed forever and a day before he felt his brother grab the back of his jacket and under one arm. With decreased weight on his hands, Crane was able to get a better grip on the railing and helped pull himself up as Evan continued to work him back onto the bridge from above. Crane wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but he suddenly found himself leaning against the railing, head hung back, and gasping deeply in relief. Faintly, he heard Evan calling and felt him checking arms and legs to ensure everything was intact and working.

"Crane? Are you okay? Crane?"

He let out one last, deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked at Evan. "Thanks. Who knew Superman masqueraded as my younger brother?"

Evan's face split into the gap toothed grin the whole family loved. He laughed, "If I was Superman, I could have just flown down to get you."

"Well, you seemed faster than a speeding bullet to me." Crane enfolded him in a bear hug.

"Are you sure you're okay?" came the question from his shoulder where Evan was buried in the embrace.

"Yeah, thanks to you."

Evan let out a deep sigh of relief. "You catch your breath while I go get Gyp. Looks like she's caught herself in something on the bank."

Crane released him and watched while taking deep, calming breaths as Evan moved carefully to the end of the bridge and off to the right. In her fear, Gypsy had crashed into some debris and bushes on the bank overlooking the creek, and she'd apparently gotten herself hung on something. She was pulling her head up and away and trying to side step in vain, but she couldn't get herself loose.

Crane watched as Evan moved up to her, talking in the quiet, soothing way he did with all animals. Crane had heard of men who were geniuses with animals, that could whisper in their ears and work wonders with problematic behavior. He didn't know if Evan was like that, but he did have a way with them that no one else in the family could match.

Gypsy visibly calmed under the gentle ministrations of his younger brother. He untangled her reins and got her head loose, but there was evidently something else holding her captive. He worked his way back from her head on the off side but still couldn't locate the problem. He circled behind her and began inspecting the near side to see what the snag was.

Crane carefully picked his way off the icy bridge and moved to her head. She was a different animal with Evan around. "Be careful, Evan. You're pretty close to the edge of the bank."

Evan nodded as he sidled up to where Gypsy, in her panic, had uncovered a large pile of brush and vines and managed to get her saddle entangled. Speaking quietly to her the whole time, he carefully pulled the debris from the stirrup and cinch.

"I think that's got it. Try and lead her off."

Crane pulled the reins of the now docile animal and moved her to where Evan had left Salty. As he turned back, he heard Evan cry out and saw him fall. He quickly tied Gypsy and ran to the bank where he'd last seen his brother. "EVAN!" Looking down at the frozen creek, he saw his brother lying motionless on the solid ice of the creek's edge. "EVAN!"

There was no answer, and Crane hurried back to the horses to grab a rope. Always the rancher, Evan never left the house on horseback without a rope. "EVAN, TALK TO ME!" Coming back to the bank, he finally saw some slight movement from below. "EVAN!"

His response was breathy. "Think I'm okay. Think I just got the wind knocked out of me."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Crane felt whipped. First, he almost fell off the bridge, and now Evan had fallen down the bank. "Are you sure?"

"Think so. Got the rope?"

"Yeah, hang on. What happened? One second you were there, then you weren't."

"I don't know. The ground just let go. Maybe the whole bank was unstable, and Gyp's extra weight knocked it loose. Or maybe I was standing on debris, and it wasn't strong enough to hold me. Make sure you're solid up there."

As Crane dropped the rope to him, Evan suddenly went still. "Crane?"

"What? You all right?"

"The ice-"

As Evan started to call the warning, the solid ice beneath him suddenly cracked and dropped him into the frigid water of the creek. Fortunately, he was close to the bank, so it wasn't deep enough to sweep him under and away, but he was soaked from chest down.

"Evan!" Crane's breath caught at how quickly their situation had changed. It had become a matter of life and death in the blink of an eye. "Grab the rope! Can you get it?"

Evan was stretching his body up and out of the water without being told. He quickly grabbed the rope and wrapped it around his wrists several times. "Go!"

Crane leaned back and pulled at the rope, hand over hand to get his brother up the fifteen or twenty feet from of the creek even as his mind was furiously working on their next step. In his wet clothes, Evan would quickly develop hypothermia. Severe hypothermia could lead to brain damage or even death, and unfortunately, there was nowhere close they could go to get him warm. They were nearly half way home, and most of the other places in the area were nearly as far away as the Circle Bar Seven.

He pulled one more time and saw Evan's hands inching over the top of the bank. He reached down and helped pull him over the edge and hugged him tightly. Through their layers of clothing, he could feel Evan shivering.

"Evan, we've got to get you warm. Let's get on the horses and head back to town. That's the closest place."

Evan pulled himself out of the embrace and reached back for the Stetson that hung down his back. It must have been knocked off in the fall or the break through. Thankfully, he was wearing a hat with a leather thong and hadn't lost it. Crane knew that heat was rapidly lost through the scalp, but Evan was shaking his head as he pulled the hat back on his head.

"N-n-no. Home."

"Evan, it's too far. We've got to get you out of these wet clothes as soon as possible. Town is closer."

As his teeth chattered, Evan moved woodenly toward the horses, his natural grace stolen by the cold in his legs. "H-halfway there. B-B-Brian's med-d-d-icine."

Crane coiled the rope as he hurried after him. "I'm not trading one brother for another! I'll get you somewhere warm and then head home!"

With great effort, Evan pulled himself onto Salty's back and shook his head. "H-halfway. Can't r-risk gan-grene. If we're late, th-they'll wor-ry. D-dark s-soon. Y-You'll have tr-tr-trouble in the d-d-dark. Dan-Daniel might c-come look-ing."

Crane shoved the rope in his saddle bag and thought quickly. Evan was right. They were between a rock and a hard place. Taking into account Evan's stubbornness, Brian's injury, the boys worried and waiting at home, the oncoming darkness, and the necessary delay if Crane took Evan somewhere else, Crane concluded this was the best decision he could make in an impossible situation. Much as he hated to admit it, they would have to ride through sub-freezing temperatures and deep snow to get back home as quickly as possible.

Evan handed Crane his reins with increasingly unsteady hands. "In c-c-case."

Crane looked at his brother briefly. In case Evan became confused with the hypothermia. He mounted Gypsy and headed toward the ranch leading his freezing brother's horse. This was a nightmare. The morning's work on the ranch accounts seemed a lifetime ago. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting Evan home as quickly as possible, but Crane couldn't help but revisit the events that had brought them to this point. Brian's accident. The decision to make the trip to town on horseback. Gypsy's skittish behavior. His fall from the bridge. Evan's fall onto and then through the frozen ice. And now this nightmare ride home in the freezing weather while Evan gradually developed hypothermia.

If. If they hadn't come on horseback. If Daniel had come instead of Crane. If Gypsy hadn't been so nervy. If Crane had better control of her. If she hadn't gotten hung in the brush. If, if, if.

Every few minutes he cast a look back to Evan who was hunched over the pommel of his saddle, occasionally swaying in his seat. "Evan?"

"S-s-s-still here." The same stuttering reply each time he called.

Crane could hear his brother's teeth chattering even ten feet away, with the strong wind blowing in their faces, but there was nothing he could do about it. Doubling up would slow them down. Everything Crane could think of that might make this easier on Evan had a down side that ultimately kept him from putting the idea in action. So he doggedly pursued the only plan that made sense given the variables: get home as quickly as possible.

Even so, Crane could not help the feelings of guilt that hounded him. Big and small decisions made at the time that seemed the best way to go now came back to haunt him. They could have tried to drive the truck or tractor, see how it did on the roads. He could have ridden Adam's horse. Chief was a well trained animal that might have gone better in the snow than Gypsy. He could have let Daniel come in his place-he was twice as good on a horse as Crane. He could have let Evan lead Gyp across, using Evan's unsurpassed talent with animals. He could have exercised better control of his own dang horse. He could have insisted on getting Gypsy untangled from the brush himself...

Over and over, different scenarios played out in his head, and all of them had a different outcome that didn't involve Evan falling through the ice. Despite trying not to dwell on it, he couldn't help but think that Evan could be permanently changed as a result of this. Brain damaged or dead. And it would be his fault. Try as he might, this thought kept coming back even as he checked the terrain, followed the trail they had broken on the way in, and called to Evan to make sure he was still conscious and in control of his faculties.

They were a mile or two from the house when Evan didn't answer. Turning to look, Crane called out again, "Evan? Still with me?"

Again, his answer was silence. Complete silence. No chattering teeth, no shivering. He pulled Gypsy around and moved beside Evan. He reached out to touch him and got no response. Evan was hunched over, passed out in the saddle. Crane flipped the reins back over Salty's head and slid over to sit behind Evan. He reached around his younger brother and grasped the reins.

"Come on, Salty. Get up. Get us home." Taking a deep breath and feeling a deep responsibility for the young man in his arms, he whispered in his ear, "Hang on, Evan. Stay with me. Don't leave me."

Finally, the house and ranch buildings came in view as they moved out of the last stand of trees south of the house. Crane had never been so relieved in his life. Always before when they'd had crises, responsibilities and worries were shared by the three oldest brothers; this time, it was all on him. Adam was away, and Brian was hurt. Crane felt a tiny inkling of how Adam must have felt when their parents died-like the world sat on his shoulders alone. He would never again view his oldest brother the same way.

In the gathering darkness, he saw Guthrie come out on the porch and then duck back inside. Quickly, the screen door flew open and three figures came out and bounded down the steps.

Daniel called out, "What happened?"

Crane gritted his teeth against the cold. "He fell through the ice on Indian Creek. He's hypothermic."

Alarm flashed in the eyes of his brothers. Daniel reached up to take Evan from Crane, and Ford was waiting to catch his feet. Guthrie hurried up the steps and held open the screen door as Crane dismounted, moving his cold, stiff limbs as quickly as he could to follow them.

Pulling open the door, he found them just inside. They'd laid Evan on the sofa near the kitchen door, and Ford was quickly removing his icy clothes. Guthrie and Daniel had shoved the coffee table out of the way and were tugging the living room sofa close to the hearth where a fire was blazing away.

Ford had taken charge again, "Guthrie, get one of your quilts and open it over the cushions and back of the sofa. Crane, help me get the rest of these clothes off him. Daniel, strip down to your underwear."

Guthrie blinked in surprise, "His underwear? Won't he be cold?"

Ford wasted no time, "He'll still be warmer than Evan. We need skin on skin to warm him up from the outside. The fire will work from the front; Daniel will work from the back."

Between them, they had Evan stripped in minutes. Daniel laid with his back to the rear of the sofa and waited with open arms as Crane and Ford lifted Evan to lie in front of him. Daniel sucked in his breath as Evan's icy skin came in contact with his own, but he snaked his arms and legs around Evan without delay. Ford and Crane wrapped the quilt around them both like a papoose and then tucked in another quilt and the afghan from the back of the sofa as well. Crane took a brief moment to remember their mother had crocheted it.

Ford continued in his new role. "Guthrie, run up and get a towel. Let's try and dry his hair a bit. And grab a pair of socks."

Guthrie stopped momentarily and asked, "Should we put on water to warm up? Wouldn't that warm him up faster if we could put him in a tub of hot water?"

Ford shook his head. "I don't think we're supposed to do that. It's too much of a shock to the system when someone gets this cold. Or something like that. We have to warm them slowly from the outside."

In a flash, Guthrie had gone up and down the stairs, and Ford was vigorously rubbing Evan's damp hair dry. "With the fire going, this will dry quick." Guthrie uncovered Evan's feet long enough to pull the socks on, then they were tucked in again, too.

Through all this, Crane stood at the end of the sofa, feeling a little punch drunk. His concentration was centered on the lump that was Evan and Daniel under the multiple layers of quilt and afghan. Any further action right now was beyond him.

After toweling Evan's hair dry, Ford looked up, "Crane? You okay?"

Crane blinked. He had been completely focused on Evan. The nightmare of the last hour had ended. Except it hadn't. They had gotten home which was the goal since leaving the creek, but now they were here. And Evan was not miraculously better. Not that Crane had realistically believed he would be. But deep inside, he had prayed and hoped for exactly that. Stupid.

"Crane?"

He blinked again, "Yeah. I'm okay." He hoped the cold was the reason for his slow reactions. The cold he'd warned Daniel about.

Ford moved to stand beside him and squeezed his arm in support. "Why don't you sit down?"

Crane turned to look at his impossibly young brother. He was the big brother, and Ford was the little brother. He shook himself a bit. He needed to regain some control of himself and the situation. He had problems to deal with, and he couldn't let himself get lost in impossibilities. "Yeah."

He moved to sit in one of the living room chairs. He fell onto the cushions completely exhausted. Unasked, Guthrie appeared at his elbow with dry clothes, and Ford kneeled in front of him. "What happened?"

Crane let out a deep breath and slowly recounted the trip from the clinic, talking loud enough for Daniel to hear as well. Telling his brothers, reliving the nightmare was difficult, and Crane didn't want to look at their trusting faces knowing that his decisions might well have caused Evan irreparable harm.

When he finished, Ford reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Crane, you did everything you could. And I think we've done all we can for him now. We just have to get him warmed up, and that's gonna take a while. Guthrie, let's help Crane get out of his coat and wet clothes." In short order, his two youngest brothers had made him ridiculously comfortable in front of the blazing fire that was now the only source of warmth in the house.

Ford laid a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you rest for a bit? That was a hard trip, so just try to relax for a while, okay?"

Crane reached up and squeezed Ford's hand where it rested, "I forgot to ask about Brian. How's he doing?"

Ford shrugged, "So far, so good. Bandage still clean and no fever. He woke up once while you were gone, and we told him you went to town to see Doctor Meade. Of course, he said it was completely ridiculous that you went-a waste of time and effort. He said he'd be fine."

Crane smiled briefly at Brian's typical response then snapped his eyes up to Ford. "The supplies and antibiotics from the doc. I left them in Gypsy's saddle bag."

Ford offered a reassuring grin, "Guthrie's bringing them in. He just went back out to take care of the horses."

Crane shut his eyes in frustration at forgetting the medical supplies and tending to the horses. He was doing a great job. He was so tired that he didn't notice Ford stealing silently away as his breathing evened out and he fell asleep.

Crane jerked himself awake. Feeling the heat from the fire on one side and the chill of the dark living room on the other, seeing the sofa pulled up close and parallel to the fire place, he knew the nightmare was real. Brian had hurt himself, and Evan had hypothermia after falling through the ice. And they still had no power or phone.

"Crane?" Ford's voice was quiet, and he looked up to see him coming in from the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"You all right?"

"Yeah. How's everyone doing?"

Ford sat down on the coffee table that had been pulled back in place. "Well, Brian's okay. I'm getting ready to change his bandage again. Still no fever. Guthrie's with him." He stretched to look over the back of the sofa to see the lump that was Daniel and Evan. "Evan's the same...maybe a little warmer."

Crane tried to hide his disappointment. "How long did I sleep?"

"Just about an hour. I'm not surprised he's still out; it's not been that long."

"Did you check his temperature?"

Ford's shoulders dropped in defeat. "Our thermometer doesn't read anything below ninety-four degrees. I tried, but I know he's lower than that."

Crane shut his eyes in resignation.

"Hey, guys, I think he's a little warmer." Daniel's voice was soft, but they both heard him.

"Yeah?"

"I think so. Hard to tell, but... Well, that's what I think."

Crane let out a deep breath, "I'll take any good news I can get right now." He pulled himself to his feet and moved around to where he could pull back the layers blanketing Daniel and Evan. Someone had brought them a pillow. Daniel's eyes shone with reflected fire light, and the shadows danced on Evan's features. Crane reached down to run a hand across his forehead and cheek. Still cool to the touch. At least now, he didn't have the frigid, windblown chill all over him.

Daniel's soft voice and sympathetic features reached out to him. "He's gonna be fine, Crane. He's just really, really cold, and it's taking a while to get him warm with the house so chilled. He's gonna be fine. You'll see."

Crane swallowed hard over the lump in his throat at the sympathy and comfort Daniel's words tried to impart and the fear that his assurances might be wrong. He nodded to acknowledge Daniel's effort even if he had trouble believing the words.

Ford called softly, "Brian wanted to see you when you woke up. Will you come help me with Doctor Meade's instructions?"

Crane attempted to clear his throat over the lump. "Yeah, sure."

Ford nodded, "I'm just getting all the stuff. I'll be up in a minute."

Crane laid a hand on Evan's head, silently pleading for God to give him back. Then he replaced the covers and gave Daniel's shoulder a squeeze before moving to climb the stairs.

Entering Adam and Hannah's room where Brian was ensconced in their bed, he heard Guthrie reading out loud by the light of two lanterns. A small smile found his face as he recognized My Side of the Mountain. It had been a favorite for all the McFaddens over the years-Guthrie had first read it a few months ago. It had now made it through the whole family. Just another tradition of the brothers.

Brian eyed at him, "You look like you've been rode hard and put away wet."

Crane agreed, "Yeah. And if it hadn't been for Guthrie, our horses would have been in the same fix. I forgot about them in all the commotion. Thanks, Squirt."

Guthrie smiled at the compliment. "I'm gonna go see if Ford made supper. I'll read more to you tomorrow, Brian."

"I'm counting on that, pal." Brian's eyes followed Guthrie as he left then found Crane again. "Take a load off, brother."

Crane sat down and buried his face in his hands, feeling much older than his years. He felt Brian grasp his knee in support. "I just don't know how everything could go wrong so fast."

Brian breathed a small laugh, "In this family, it's standard operating procedure."

Crane wished he could appreciate the attempt at humor. "One minute he was standing there, and the next he was gone. He didn't answer when I called. And then it seemed like it was going to be okay...he just had the wind knocked out of him. I dropped the rope to him, and everything was gonna be fine. And then the ice broke, and we were in the middle of a disaster. Halfway home, nowhere close by to get him out of those wet clothes. I've never felt so helpless. And you needed the antibiotics."

"It was the right choice to come home. You said it yourself; there was nowhere closer to go for help."

"His teeth were already chattering, and he was shivering badly. Town was a little closer; we could've gone back to the clinic and Doctor Meade."

"But you would've had to cross that icy bridge again, right? With a skittish horse, that would've been dangerous. And it would've taken longer to walk the horses back across. Cold as Evan was, I don't know if he could've made it without falling on the ice and hurting himself worse. And I'm not sure Doc could've done anything else for him. They may not have power in town now either."

Crane's exhaled breath sounded like a sob, "Stupid bridge. Stupid horse."

Brian squeezed his knee again, "Hey, come on. It's not Gyp's fault."

Crane shook his head in disgust, his voice full of self loathing. "No, it sure isn't."

"What are you saying? That it's yours?"

"I don't know who else to blame."

"Crane, there isn't any blame. Come on."

Crane's breathing picked up in anger, "If I'd been able to control and calm that horse, none of this would have happened! If I could have just-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Horses get skittish. Every horse, everywhere. Come on, give yourself a break."

Crane shook his head angrily, "No, not with everyone. She didn't like the snow, that was plain from the beginning. And coming back across that bridge, she was not happy. Evan had to save my tail from falling off the bridge when I couldn't control my own damn horse! And when he went to her, she calmed down like a babe in mama's arms. She was calm the rest of the way home! I didn't do that-he did! If I had been able to get her calmed down and across that bridge, then none-" He stopped speaking abruptly knowing he was about to lose control of his voice.

Brian, of course, recognized it. "Hey, take it easy. Slow down. You know Evan's got the magic touch. He always has, and he always will. None of us can do what he does. And for that matter, I don't know anyone in the county who can either. Gypsy was skittish-it happens. Horses get scared just like people, and you never can tell how a frightened animal's going to react. It could've happened to any one of us. And if you think this is your fault because you couldn't control your horse, then it's also my fault for falling on the stupid pitchfork."

"Brian-"

"Hey, you wouldn't have gone to town if I hadn't gotten hurt, right? So it's my fault you were riding your skittish horse to town. Or even better, it's God's fault for making it snow two feet. Come on, Crane. See this for what it is-an accident. An accident that could have happened to any one of us. And it's no one's fault. I don't blame you, the boys don't blame you, and Evan won't blame you."

"If he wakes up. If he wakes up, and he's not brain damaged from hypothermia." Voicing his worst fear sent tears spilling out of his eyes despite his best efforts.

"Look at me. Crane, shut up and look at me." Brian's eyes were intense, "Evan is going to be fine. He's tough as a strip of rawhide, he's a McFadden, and he will be fine. He's gonna wake up and laugh that silly, goofy laugh and wonder what everybody was worried about. He won't blame you."

Crane latched on to the sentiments and feelings behind them like a drowning man. He nodded, unable to speak.

Brian pushed himself off the pillows and pulled Crane into a hug, "Come here."

Crane hung on with everything he had, needing the strength and comfort his older brother provided. He felt some of the strain of the last few hours drain out during the give and take of the embrace, and he nodded into Brian's shoulder in gratitude, unable to speak.

They broke the hug but held on to each other. Brian cupped his bearded cheek, "Okay?"

Crane felt the moisture in his eyes, but his heart felt a bit easier nonetheless. He nodded, "Okay."

They heard a knock and turned to see Ford coming in carrying a tray with supplies and bowls. Crane quickly swiped his eyes dry. It was okay for Big Brother to understand his doubts and fears, but Younger Brother didn't need to see that.

"Since Brian wouldn't get his lazy tail up and fix supper, I opened a couple jars of Hannah's home canned soup and warmed it up in the fire place. I thought you two could eat first while I get everything ready, and then we could change the dressing with the supplies Doctor Meade sent."

Crane looked gratefully at Ford, "That's a good idea." He eyed Brian and grinned shakily, "I'm thinking we should just put him in charge of everything around here. He's got it all taken care of."

Brian took a spoonful of the warm soup and spoke with a full mouth, "Not a bad idea. Today, he's been the only one who's kept it all together. We've just made a mess of everything."

Ford laughed at the teasing, but his blush let them know he recognized the compliment, "No, thanks. The only time anyone around here listens to me is when they have to. The rest of the time, you guys just aren't worth the hassle."

Brian turned to Crane, "How do you like that? We offer him this great job, and he just throws it back in our faces."

Crane swallowed his soup, "After the day we've had, I don't blame him one bit."

Brian's pulled a face. "Now that you mention it, neither do I."

After they finished eating, Crane read out the instructions for changing Brian's dressing, directing Ford through the steps. It involved pouring peroxide in both wounds again and allowing them to drain. Then he took a bottle that held a long, thin tape that had been soaked in a solution that smelled faintly of bleach. That tape was carefully pushed into the holes with tweezers 'til it was somewhat packed. Then clean gauze was placed over both wounds, and the ace bandage was reapplied.

Though not terribly painful to Brian, he was completely wrung out by the procedure. Crane was concerned by his discomfort and wiped his face with a cool cloth to remove the sheen of sweat that had broken out during the ordeal. Ford gave him several tablets to take, and they tucked him in.

He roused up as they turned to leave, "Guthrie's planning to sleep up here with me. Send him on in if he's ready for bed. Or if he wants to stay up a while, that's fine too."

Crane and Ford nodded, and they turned to head out. Crane moved down to his room to grab some clean clothes for Daniel then headed back downstairs.

He passed Guthrie heading up, "Night, Crane."

"Night, Guth. Thanks again for everything today. Take care of Brian tonight."

He nodded and smiled at the trust the request engendered. "I will."

When Crane got downstairs, he moved over to the sofa. "Daniel, come on out of there, and I'll crawl in to help warm him up."

The covers parted, and Daniel's shadowed face peeked out, "I'm fine, Crane. You're worn out. Why don't you get some sleep? Me and Ford can handle this."

Crane tousled his hair, "Come on. You've been in there for...well, I don't know how long, but it's been a few hours at least. You need to come out and eat. Warming him up, I'll be lying down anyway, and I can sleep then. And honestly, I don't want Ford rolled up in there. If something happens with Brian..."

"Crane, Brian's-"

"I know, he's fine. He's fine now and will probably continue to be. But I learned today that the unexpected can happen real fast. I just want him able to get to either of them as soon as possible if they need him. My brain's not working very efficiently right now, and I need someone with a clear head to take care of them if something happens."

Daniel nodded and began to slowly unwrap himself, doing his best to keep the warmed air around Evan. Crane took off his clothes, and just as Daniel pulled himself free, Crane slipped over the back side of the sofa and slid into a warm embrace around their younger brother. Daniel quickly tucked the quilts and afghan around them as Crane made himself comfortable spooned up against Evan's back. He took a deep breath and smelled the faint scents that signaled Evan...soap, horse, and hay. It felt very familiar and brought Crane some comfort. He focused his thoughts on the encouragements Brian had pounded into his brain. Evan was going to be fine. Fine. This was the last thought he had as the warmth of the fire and the comforting smells enveloped him. Fine...

But his sleep wasn't restful. His mind kept tumbling, going back through the day. Sometimes, he doubted he was sleeping at all, but at some point he must have as he shortly felt Daniel's hand on his shoulder.

"It's coming on midnight, Crane. You've been in there three hours. Come on out. I can tell you're not sleeping well. You keep shifting around and waking up."

"I'm okay. You go on up to bed. I'll stay in here with him."

"The way you're sleeping-or rather, not sleeping-I don't think Evan's getting good rest either. Come on, you've had a lot tougher day than me. Get out where you can be a little more comfortable. We need you to be in charge tomorrow with Adam gone and Brian laid up. We need you at your best, and you won't be if you don't get some real sleep."

Crane thought about that for a minute and then nodded. As he and Daniel prepared to switch places, he asked, "Where's Ford?"

"I sent him up to bed about an hour ago."

"He did a real man's job today. I could have managed, but it's good to know he can handle it, too. Did you know he knew all that first aid and medical information?"

Daniel shook his head, "I knew he'd been working on some of it in school, and he'd been asking Hannah for some books to read. But I had no idea he'd gone that far with it."

"He really surprised me-Brian, too. You should have seen us in the barn when he took over."

Daniel smiled, "What surprised me was how calm he was. I was jumpy, but he just seemed to get more settled the longer it went. Like he's been doing it for years."

The change out was made, and Crane tucked the covers around them. "When this is all over, I'm gonna ask Doctor Meade to get him whatever books he thinks Ford needs for any kind of emergency we might run into. The isolation of this weather has made me realize how important that knowledge might be in the future. Ford was prepared for it today, and I'm grateful he was. And I want to help him be even more prepared in case it ever happens again."

Daniel eyed him, "Get some rest. We need you prepared for tomorrow, too."

Crane closed his eyes in agreement and went over to the fold-out bed under the stairs and laid down. He slowly stretched as many muscles as he could and pulled the blanket up around him. He said prayers for his brothers, pleading for their recoveries, and thanking God for their presence. With amen, he fell into a deep sleep, this one untouched by the waking nightmares of the day.

Crane took a deep breath and blinked open his eyes. The unusual surroundings brought him instantly awake, and he startled up to a sitting position. Glancing around, he recognized the living room and the fold-out bed. The series of events from the previous day flooded into his memory, and he shook his head that he couldn't continue the blissfulness of amnesic sleep.

He stood up and stretched out a few kinks and took greater stock of his surroundings. The windows remained dark. The fire was still going, but it had died down considerably from the roar of the previous evening. The lump of quilts and blankets still resided in stillness on the sofa. The family would certainly know today if Evan would recover. Crane closed his eyes in silent prayer again.

He moved to the fire place and threw a couple of logs in the grate, trying to drive the night chill from the room. He was rubbing his hands together to warm up when he heard his name.

"Crane?"

He turned to find half of Daniel's face poking out from the pile. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Daniel's grin was a comfort to Crane's bruised heart. "I was only half asleep. I didn't hear you last night; did you get any rest?"

Crane bounced his brows in a facial shrug. "I must have. I don't remember not resting."

"Good. You needed it. I was worried about you."

Crane shook his head. "I'm fine." He paused, "How's he doing this morning?" He almost didn't want to ask, dreading to hear there was no change. That would make a full recovery seem less likely.

But Daniel smiled gently. He seemed to be reading Crane's mind, knowing his older brother was bracing for the worst. He kept his voice soft to break the news. "Crane, he's fine."

Crane just stared at him, unable to ask. Hoping, but not really daring to believe.

"Really. He's fine."

Crane held himself completely still, afraid to break the spell of possibility Daniel's words conjured. "How do you know?"

Daniel pulled the covers back from Evan's face, but Crane couldn't discern any difference from the previous night. "I felt him shifting around a little while ago, so I tried to wake him up. And he did. And he's fine. I promise he's okay. I'm surprised you didn't hear us talking; you must have been really tired."

Crane crouched down and stared at them both, again hoping against hope. "Daniel, you know I love you, and I'd trust you with my life. But I hope you'll understand that I have to see this for myself."

Daniel propped his head up on one arm and nodded with no resentment in his eyes. "Figured. Hang on, let me wake him up again." He looked down and brushed the blond hair back from where it hung over Evan's eyes. "Evan? Wake up."

No movement or response. Crane held his breath.

"Come on, Little Brother, you know you're gold-bricking. Come on, Crane needs to see for himself that you're the same ornery, little cuss you've always been. Wake up and talk to him."

Finally, Evan took a deep breath and forced his eyes open. He yawned and blinked a couple times and then focused on Crane and smiled sleepily. "Hey. Is it morning yet?"

Crane tried to control his emotions and let out his pent up breath in a shaky exhale. His voice quavered a little, "You know me, never one to lie around when there's work to be done." He paused to get hold of himself, "How're you feeling this morning?"

Evan stretched out his neck a bit and yawned. "Okay. A little sore, I guess, from where I landed on the ice, but rodeo class is worse than this."

Crane shook his head, still having trouble believing. "All your fingers and toes feel okay?"

Evan paused, and Crane figured he was trying them out. "Seem to be fine."

Crane ran his hand across Evan's now warm cheek, shut his eyes, and felt the relief flow through him. His eyes, his ears, his touch all told him Evan was okay. He leaned his forehead against Evan's and sent his thanks up to heaven, never more grateful. He felt Evan grasp his wrist.

"Crane, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause more worry."

Crane shook his head at Evan's naiveté. "You don't have anything to apologize for. This isn't on you."

Evan apparently picked up on what Crane didn't say, and he pulled his head around to glance at Daniel for confirmation then back to Crane. "It isn't on you either. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one that fell on the ice."

Crane's voice was husky with emotion. "While helping my horse. That I couldn't control. After saving me from falling off the bridge."

Evan shook his head in denial, "Crane, horses do that. They get scared. We all just do our best. This wasn't your fault."

Crane bit his bottom lip. Brian was right; Evan didn't blame him. None of them did. Crane felt the blessing of his brothers once again and couldn't figure out what he'd done to deserve them. He nodded but couldn't answer around the lump in his throat.

Daniel covered for him. "Crane, will you get him some clothes?"

Evan looked back and forth between them, "What do you mean, 'get him some clothes?' What am I wearing?"

Daniel shrugged, "A whole lot of nothing except your underwear. For that matter, that's what I'm wearing, too."

Evan got indignant, "What did you guys do to me last night? This is embarrassing."

Crane, relieved to hear the arguing, ruffled his hair affectionately, "Well, I didn't hear you complaining about it then, so you don't get to now either. Besides, that's what Ford said to do."

"What? So now we're letting the children make the decisions?"

Crane smiled at the protest; it felt so gloriously normal. "We are in this. And I'll let you take your objections up with him. Remember he's your roommate and could potentially do you a lot of damage if he took a notion to."

Evan bit his lip, evidently thinking about all the ramifications. "Maybe we could let it slide for a day or two. Probably be good for him to get some leadership experience."

Crane nodded, "Yeah, maybe. I'll get you something to wear."

Daniel abruptly crawled out from the covers and left Evan digging himself out of the heap of quilts and blankets. "Crane, you stay here; I'll get 'em." He was pulling on his pants as he hopped across the room to the bottom of the stairs.

Crane watched him move off, thankful Daniel understood that he needed a minute or two with Evan on his own. Evan sat up, and Crane dropped down to sit beside him. He wrapped his arm around Evan who pulled up the blankets and snuggled in against Crane's shoulder and chest. Very subdued behavior from his typically exuberant, independent little brother. Probably still worn out from everything that happened yesterday. Crane leaned over and reverently kissed the top of Evan's head, breathing silent praise for his recovery once more. "Please don't ever scare me like that again."

"I'm really sorry. It must have been awful."

"You have no idea. What do you remember?"

"Going out with the boys. Guthrie driving the tractor. Brian getting hurt. You and me going to town. Falling and hitting the ice-and breaking through the ice. After that, it's all kind of hazy. I remember being really cold. That we needed to get back to take care of Brian." He paused, "And knowing you'd get me home."

Crane felt moisture in his eyes and pulled Evan closer. "Well, you had more faith in me than I did. There just wasn't any good solution."

"You made the right choice. I'm home. And I'm fine. But I am sorry I caused all this mess-like we didn't have enough problems already. How's Brian anyway?"

Crane kept his brother wrapped up, needing the closeness after the long evening of worry. "He was fine last night when Ford did the dressing change with the supplies Doctor Meade sent."

"As long as he's all right, then it was all worth it as far as I'm concerned."

Crane shook his head, knowing that generosity was echoed in all the members of the family. Their parents sure would've been proud of their legacy. He turned his head, hearing feet on the steps. Daniel came down followed by Ford. "Hail, hail, most of the gang's all here."

Ford came around to sit on Evan's other side. "Daniel says you're all better."

Evan sat up for Ford to have a better look at him. Crane allowed the movement, but he kept a hand on Evan's shoulder, reluctant to break the contact. "I'm fine, thanks to everyone taking care of me last night. Not that I remember much of anything after going through the ice. But I feel fine. Like normal."

Ford snorted, "You've never been normal. I room with you; if anyone knows that, it's me." He took Evan's hands, "Squeeze."

Evan grinned and obliged.

Ford pulled the covers back from his feet, "Now, see if you can grip your toes."

Through the socks, they watched as Evan pulled his toes in on both feet.

"Headache?"

Evan shook his head in denial.

Ford picked up the thermometer, "I'm gonna check this, and if it's okay, then I reckon you really are as normal as you ever get."

They all smiled at the ribbing Evan took good naturedly as he accepted the thermometer under this tongue. As he held it there, Daniel handed him the clothes, and he stood to put them on. All three of his brothers watched as he pulled them on with practiced ease, no noticeable problems with fingers, arms, legs, or feet. He really did seem fine. Even now, Crane could hardly believe it, yet he rejoiced just the same.

When Ford checked the thermometer, a smile split his face, "Ninety-seven point four. You're fine."

Crane let out a sigh of relief. He stood and swept Evan into a hug. "Just remember that as soon as the roads're clear, you're going in to see Doctor Meade."

Evan's shoulders dropped dramatically, "Crane, I'm fine."

Crane shook his head, "Yeah, but I'm not. And I'm not gonna be until I hear the doctor say it. No offense, Ford."

"None taken. I'd like to hear him say it, too."

"Just do it for us, huh? Forgive your old granny brother. You almost gave me a heart attack yesterday."

Evan shook his head wryly, "Then maybe you need to be the one to see him."

Crane growled and reached for him as Evan scampered away laughing. ...that silly, goofy laugh...

Daniel had gone in the kitchen and had the makings for coffee. They sat the pot in the coals of the fireplace and moved the sofa back into its regular position. After straightening up the room, they all sat down and started talking. Crane relished the time spent discussing, laughing, and reminiscing. As the windows slowly lightened, they spoke of their favorite memories-both new and old, funny situations as well as sad. Daniel thumbed a new song on the guitar.

As light came through the windows signaling morning's arrival, their conversation brought Guthrie to the top of the stairs. "Evan! You're okay!"

Evan moved to the bottom of the stairs and met their youngest brother with a hug. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Guthrie shook his head, "Boy, you sure were cold last night. I never felt skin as cold as yours."

Evan laughed, "Me neither. How's Brian this morning?"

"Oh, he's awake and sent me down to find out how you are. Come on." Guthrie grabbed Evan's hand, pulling him up the stairs to where Brian was still stuck in bed. All of them followed, anxious to see how he was this morning.

Crane brought up the rear as they moved into Adam and Hannah's room. Brian was propped up on several pillows with Evan sitting on one side of him while Ford occupied the other.

Brian grinned at Evan. "You all right?"

Evan shrugged, "Ford says I'm never all right, but I'm as all right as I ever am."

Brian blinked at the typical confusion a statement from Evan could engender. "Huh?"

"I'm the same as always." A grin split his face.

Brian laughed and looked him over head to toe. "That's good to know. You had us all kinda worried last night."

Evan turned serious, "Yeah. I'm sorry about that." His look encompassed all the brothers, "Thanks, you guys. For everything."

Brian nodded, "From me, too."

They all smiled in response. Of course, Daniel had a comeback. "Well, I wasn't going to, but I didn't want Dad to ground me when he got home and found out I'd lost one or two of my brothers."

Evan grabbed a pillow and made a half hearted swing at him. Just as Crane was about to stop the horse-play, Ford stood up. "Okay, you clowns, that's enough. Not around the patient. Get out of here while I change the dressing. I don't need all of you looking over my shoulder, breathing down my neck. Why don't you go down and see what we have for breakfast? Brian's gonna need feeding here in a bit."

Daniel, Evan, and Guthrie moved toward the door, tossing out teasing insults as they left.

Crane sat down in the place Evan had occupied. He wanted a good view where he could help Ford if needed.

But as it turned out, Ford followed the procedure from the previous night without difficulty. When the old dressing was removed and the packing pulled out, there was a very small amount of brownish drainage. Ford seemed pleased with that as well as the appearance of the skin around the wounds.

"This looks pretty good, Brian. I think it's gonna heal up okay. How're you feeling?"

"Pretty good. Feels kinda sore and stiff. I know I hurt it, but considering I stuck a pitchfork through it, it's not too bad."

Ford nodded, "We'll keep doing what we're doing with the dressings. You'll take the antibiotics the doc sent, and as soon as the roads're okay, we'll take both you and Evan in for a checkup."

Brian agreed, and Ford finished up. Shortly, he was leaving, "I'll bring up some of whatever they found to eat. Be back in a minute."

As he shut the door, Crane turned back to find Brian studying him.

"Evan seems good. Not quite as energetic as usual, but okay anyway. How're you this morning?"

Crane nodded. "I'm all right. Grateful. Still having trouble believing it, honestly."

"You had a hard time. Gonna be okay?"

Crane shrugged, "As long as he is. And you are. If we all come out of this, I'll make it. Thanks for the pep talk last night. It gave me something to hold on to. Allowed me to rest a little easier."

"That's what big brothers are for."

Just then, the door burst open, and all four of the others piled onto the bed with them. Bowls of oatmeal were placed in Crane and Brian's hands, and they all dug into the warm, hearty cereal.

Crane looked at each of them in turn and then back to Brian. "I just want to say thanks to all of you. Getting through yesterday and last night was a group effort. We wouldn't have made it without everybody throwing in and doing their part. I was thinking sometime last night that what we have in this family-between us-is a pretty special. We can't ever take it, or each other, for granted."

He watched as his brothers' eyes moved around to encompass the group. Nods were given, and shoulders, hands, and knees were squeezed in agreement. Crane bowed his head once more in gratitude. For the safety and survival of his brothers. For each of their unique talents. For the blessing of being part of this brotherhood.