In The Barest Terms

My father-in-law sleeps almost all the time. It's been several days (maybe a week, I'm not keeping score) since we last saw him properly awake. He's no longer infectious so he's been moved back onto the main ward.  The medical staff- we're on first name terms with some of them now- describe him as "better". There's talk of discharging him. 

My mother-in-law doesn't want him to go into a "Home". She rang up the ward yesterday morning and was very "brusque" with Sister about it.  (We would much rather he did.)