Hushed Willows you're my devil, you're my angel

The sudden gagging caused Tambourine's fur to stand on end, simply because it had gotten so quiet (and creepy) and he wasn't at all expecting the loud noise. He jumped about an inch into the air, his eyes flying wide. He felt his impulse to flee grow stronger, though his eyes met the child's and he saw the plaintive plea there. He might have been a little spooked by this encounter but Tambourine could see that the little boy needed his help.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sliding up to hover over him. Tambourine wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he wasn't stupid, either. In any case, something clicked in his mind and he guessed, "Something struck in your throat? Is that why you couldn't talk?" Even as he spoke, he lifted a comically over-sized paw and clapped the kid on the back a few times, hoping desperately that it would help.