"Cowardice is the greatest sin" - Mikhail Bulgakov

The baby was screaming, and his fingers were fumbling trying to find the buckle, the stupid straps that he couldn't undo, the damn seat felt like it was cemented and the package with the bomb was right there. Stone in his ear, shouting about removing the whole seat when it didn't bloody work like that and then he told him to run, and Mickey didn't even hesitate.

Running across the school yard, his heart frantic in his chest and he was behind the cordon watching as Stone tried to save that baby before the whole car exploded.

Watching and waiting.

Like he watched his old man pummel his mother as a kid, waiting 'til the screaming stopped, and it was safe to creep out from his hiding place.

Staring down at Gary Hughes' son waiting to break the news he'd just watched his dad bleed to death at the hands of Napper.

Watching the motorbike squeal away, petrol bomb in hand not fast enough to stop Mr. Conway's car from bursting into flames.

Waiting for the news to come through about Kate, as she died in that hospital bed.

Watching Kezia's face fill with terror as she mentioned her mum, trapped on that booby switchboard.

He was always watching.

Always waiting.

Never acting.

And he felt sick with his own sense of cowardice again.

The car blew.

The stench of burning rubber assaulted his nostrils, glass shattered, and his ears were ringing but it didn't block out the sound of the baby's mother screaming. It was anguished. Animalistic.

He could hear sirens and the roar of fire but deep beneath he still heard the baby cry.

He pulled the cordon up and took tentative steps forward.

Waited with relief as he watched Stone stumble from the flames, baby unharmed in his arms.