There was much he needed to do, but his back ached and burned from the bullet wound that had only just begun to regain sensation. To be honest, he had forgotten about the bullet wounds, as they had turned numb and almost nonexistent in his back, until after he began accepting that his family would be complete again and that his wife was truly back. Once the numbness faded, the pain came with it.
He dusted the snow off his body and moved to carry the firewood into the living space to get the heating stoves working so the cottage would be warm before bedtime. But to pass into the house, he had to walk through the kitchen door where his wife was standing. When she saw him approach, she jumped back, as though the simple thought of being close to him frightened her.
Rohan, though displeased by her reaction, didn't say anything or let it get to him as he walked past her, while she kept her face firmly averted.
