The 10 became 30 after he had touched base with his office and home, promised a bedtime story to his daughter and arranged to keep his dinner warm, so that by the time he had returned to the hospital room his angel, he thought so anyway, was laying peacefully, this time sound asleep.
For the first time in 28 hours Ethan felt he could leave her side and return to the outside world secure in the knowledge that she was now truly sleeping. In the morning he planned she would wake to find him waiting and once again he would introduce himself and say thanks to his rescuer. This time to someone who could hear him.