It takes a lot to truly stun John, even after years in Darrow, where life is generally far less chaotic than the one he's left behind. He knows Karen is looking at him, looking for some kind of reassurance or instructions in his gaze, the kind of mental dialogue they've been able to fall into after all this time, but he can't look over at her. All he can do is stare at the woman standing in their apartment door with a shotgun.

For the very time in a very long time, he's actually surprised.

"Root?"

He hasn't seen her in nearly three years. He isn't even sure if he's ever mentioned her to Karen, not out of a desire to keep a secret from Karen or a need to pretend Root didn't exist, but simply because it's his way to keep things close to him. She wasn't here. There had been no reason to talk about her.