Was she all right?
The woman froze.
She—
"Mom!"
The child came running over with a shout.
The child had remembered what the police officer had told him.
He stood with his back to his mother and the others.
He closed his eyes.
He covered his ears.
Don't look. Don't listen.
But...
He heard his mother's shout.
It pierced straight through the hands covering his ears.
And drilled into them.
His eyes flew open.
His mother's voice sounded different from how it usually did.
He wasn't unfamiliar with the sound of his mother shouting at people.
He was even used to it by now.
After the first few times, he hadn't been startled again.
He was rather proud of that.
But this time...
He hesitated for a few seconds.
Then, slowly and carefully, he turned slightly to the side.
He glanced over from the corner of his eye.
The next second, he whipped his head around, eyes wide.
His mother's pained face came into view.
He didn't quite understand.
But he knew that his mother was hurting.
That Bad Uncle was bullying her!
As soon as he realized this, the child ran over.
He shouted as he went—
"Mom!"
"Hey—"
The captain reached out.
But he almost failed to catch the child.
His attention had been on the woman and man, who were about to start fighting.
He had been thinking that if things took a turn for the worse, he would rush over to help.
When he saw the woman fall backward—
Even though he knew he wouldn't make it in time, he instinctively took a step forward.
But right after that, he realized...
There was no need.
Someone had caught the woman.
She was safe and sound.
She hadn't fallen.
Just as he was about