Scott started stirring after six hours and thirty-seven minutes. While he was still mostly unconscious they had removed the respirator and he was breathing strongly on his own. He didn't open his eyes for another hour. All told, he had been unconscious for almost eight hours by the time he did.
And it was a circle of relieved faces he saw. He didn't stay awake for long, and as soon as he was out of it again the family retreated so that tests could be run.
By the time they had been there for ten hours Scott was mostly awake and demanding to go home. The doctors, and more importantly Grandma, refused. He had to stay for another ten hours to ensure no long-term damage had been done, although early signs were very positive in that regard. Scott grumbled and pouted.
Grandma sent everyone off to find a hotel and sleep while she and Jeff took first watch. Jeff had been appalled at what had happened, and he and Scott had spoken at length about this event and the one Jeff had missed while he was absent. His eldest had been through a lot. He promised to listen to Scott next time he said something was a bad idea. Scott had chuckled at that – even he could not have predicted this turn of events.
The next ten hours passed slowly but pleasantly. They divided the Scott Sitting into pairs and two-and-a-half hour slots. The doctors ran more bloods at the start of the ten hours and again five hours in, and they were very pleased with the results.
Dead on the ten-hour dot Scott was up and getting dressed, determined not to stay here a second longer than necessary. Virgil and John were on hand to help, not that he let them, and Grandma had gone to get the release papers. They all congregated back in Scott's room, Scott now perched on the bed with Alan on one side and Gordon on the other.
Jeff watched with undisguised pride. His boys had been through so much and here they were, sitting around and laughing as if the last eighteen hours had not just happened. But it had been a close one. He sighed, causing Scott to glance over. Ah yes, once a smother-hen, always a smother-hen.
He stood up and announced that maybe it was time to leave. Alan, Gordon and Scott exchanged a glance, before Alan stood in front of his dad.
'Dad, we love you and all that, but next time there's a conference meeting we'd like to be excused.'