She gave a meek little sound of surprise at being gathered up (no, she meant for him to run to safety...!), but curled up tight against his shoulder, bracing for the impact—they might not make it...!

The crisp fabric of the white lab coat... it made her heart hurt.

“Papa...” she murmured.

The sound was frightening, but not as bad as a car-crash, definitely, but the near-miss and the sound was still close enough to leave her shaking. She could hear his heartbeat too, until he allowed her to touch back down. A little bit shaken, she stepped gingerly down in white-sandaled feet, her breathing still unsteady, then looked up at him with a grateful, if apologetic smile.

“Thank you... I wanted to help you, but you ended up saving me. Are your legs okay?”

He seemed like a very old man, to her eyes, so she was worried!