"Do what Emily says."
Lucy crawled.
Emily followed, keeping one hand against the child's boot until Lucy cleared the beam.
Then the roof gave another groan.
Nathan's knee buckled.
"Nathan, go."
Emily shoved Lucy toward the doorway.
The child stumbled outside.
Emily turned back.
Nathan's arms were shaking violently now.
A crack raced along the beam above him.
"Come on."
Nathan released it and threw himself toward her.
The timber dropped.
He struck Emily hard enough to send them both through the doorway.
A section of roof came down behind them.
The sound vanished into the storm almost immediately.
Emily rolled in the snow.
"Lucy, I'm here."
Emily pushed herself up, then realized Nathan wasn't answering.
She turned.
"Nathan."
Broken boards lay half buried beside the cabin.
One dark boot showed beneath them.
Emily's stomach dropped.
She crawled toward him.
"Nathan."
No answer.
Lucy began crying behind her.
Emily grabbed the first board and pulled.
It barely moved.
She planted both boots and pulled again.
Nothing.
"Lucy, get away from the cabin. Go to that pine and stay where I can see you."
Lucy obeyed.
Emily tore off her gloves.
She dug.
Snow packed beneath her fingernails.
Splintered wood scraped her palms, but she hardly noticed.
She cleared around Nathan's leg first, then his hip.
"Nathan, wake up."
A low sound came from beneath the boards.
Emily stopped.
"Nathan."
"I'm here."
Her breath left her.
"Can you move?"
"Think so."
"Don't think. Tell me."
A pause.
"Right arm, both legs, left pinned."
Emily dug toward his shoulder.
Nathan coughed.
"Take Lucy."
"No."
"Emily."
"No."
"Storm's getting worse, so stop wasting breath."
She found the board trapping his coat and tried lifting it.
Too heavy.
Emily looked around.
A broken fence rail lay near the cabin wall.
She dragged it over and worked one end beneath the timber.
"Move when I tell you."
Nathan's visible hand found the snow.
Emily pushed down on the rail.
The timber rose slightly.
"Now."
Nathan dragged himself sideways.
The board slipped.
Emily jumped back.
Nathan rolled free.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Emily dropped beside him.
His hat was gone.
Blood darkened a small cut near his hairline, but he was awake.
"Look at me."
"I'm looking."
"How many fingers?"
She held up three.
Nathan squinted.
"Three?"
"Good."
"Unless you've got six hands now."
Emily almost laughed.
"Almost."
Then Nathan tried sitting up.
His face tightened.
Emily caught his arm.
"Ribs, probably."
"Can you stand?"
"I have to."
Together, they got him upright.
Lucy ran toward them.
Nathan opened one arm.
The girl hit him around the waist.
He winced but didn't push her away.
"I'm sorry," Lucy sobbed.
Nathan rested his chin against her hair.
"We're not doing sorry out here."
He looked at Emily.
"But we're going somewhere warm first."
The cabin was no longer safe.
Nathan pointed down slope.
"Old cattle shelter, quarter mile east."
Emily looked into the storm.
"You can walk that."
Nathan picked up the rope.
"Find out."
He took three steps.
On the fourth, his knee nearly gave.
Emily moved beneath his arm.
Nathan tried pulling away.
"You're not carrying me."
"Good, because I couldn't."
She wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"But you can lean."
He looked down at her.
Emily raised an eyebrow.
"You're wasting daylight again."
That settled it.
They moved.
Lucy stayed close, wrapped in the blanket.
The quarter mile took nearly an hour.
The shelter was little more than a low log structure built into the hillside, used by riders caught overnight during cattle drives.
One wall was stone, the roof held.
Inside they found dry pine kindling, an old iron stove, and enough split wood to last until morning.
Emily nearly cried at the sight of it.
Instead, she lit the fire.
Nathan sat against the wall while she examined him.
His ribs were badly bruised, but his breathing remained steady.
"Shirt."
Nathan looked at her.
"I need to see where you're hurt."
His ears reddened.
Emily stared.