He can't look away, and yeah, he's definitely not really present for the moment, his breath held as he watches her grapple with the man - a man bigger than her, by far, but she stabs him in the kneecap and gets away relatively unscathed. For the moment.

Fuck, Joel hates not being there with her.

It takes him a moment to realize the young woman is still there - even addressing him. He grunts faintly. "Not my daughter," he starts with, his voice low and rough. "But - close enough it don't make much difference anymore."