Question arises: When will Giffords return?

There has been celebration at each milestone: that she opened her eyes, that she asked for toast, that she has policy briefings in the morning, that she spoke on the phone with the intern who helped save her life, that she might be able to attend her husband's shuttle launch.

For all that, it was a grievous injury and family members have kept a tight rein on information, as they balance the desire for privacy and her role as a public figure.

And even though a piece of her skull has yet to be reattached, the inevitable chatter is beginning about how long it might take for her to be able to fulfill her congressional duties.

Some have even broached the idea of declaring a vacancy, although local political leaders of all partisan stripes say they are willing to be patient.

There is no "caretaker" provision by which someone can serve in her stead until she recovers, and there are no formal rules that say congressional representatives have to resign if they are facing severe health problems and can't show up for a vote. They essentially continue to serve unless they, or their family members, decide it's time to call it quits, since Congress has only once declared an office vacant. That was in February 1981, after a Maryland representative lapsed into a coma after a major heart attack two days before she won re-election in 1980.

If the seat became vacant, a special election would be held.

Her staff points out the office is as busy as ever. It has nearly 1,000 active constituent cases. It has helped a young woman escape during the Egyptian riots and helped families stave off foreclosures. The office continues to put on its tax clinics and its informational solar meetings.

Her allies in Congress have asked questions on her behalf during hearings, and most recently, Texas Republican Rep. Ted Poe came here to tour the border and to prepare to introduce a bill on Giffords' behalf to improve cellphone service for those living and working along the U.S.-Mexico border.

But for some, the question of what's next lingers.

Allen VanCranebrock, 83, a retired journalist and registered independent who has voted for Giffords in all three of her congressional races, nonetheless wrote a letter to the editor recently saying the district needs representation. "I think it's fairly urgent to have some representation this current year," he said, adding that he's been "favorably impressed" with Giffords in the past. "They've already had some important votes, and we didn't have anyone representing us."

While he's an independent, VanCranebrock said he tends to skew a bit to the liberal side and wants a counter voice to the Republican majority in the U.S. House. "It's just not a good idea to have a vacant seat sitting there all this time," he said.

From the other end of the political spectrum, Del Dawley, 52, a senior research analyst and a Republican, signed an online petition recently urging the governor to declare the seat vacant since Giffords is currently unable to serve. So far, the petition has about 120 signatures.

"There's a lot of people talking about it quietly, but no one wants to be thought of as callous," he said, adding that he thinks the community needs to have an "honest conversation" about how she's doing.

"My heart goes out to her. I pray for her and I hope she can return at some point, but if she's unable to, then we need to know that," he said. "At some point, there has to be an evaluation made by her doctors or her family that she either is or is not capable to going back to work."

The president is also a private person, Dawley said, but the public gets a full rundown of his health every year. And he acknowledges that her staff has been running her office but said he doesn't like the fact they're doing it without Giffords' direct supervision. "I didn't vote for them," Dawley said.

Local Republican Party Chairman Brian Miller said he's had some inquiries about whether there's a way to have the seat declared vacant. "Even if there was a legal way to do it, the political fallout would be such that it wouldn't be worth it," he said. Instead, he said, the party is spending its energies looking to the 2011 city races.

While he said he prays for Giffords' recovery, Miller said he hopes his base will remain focused on running a good race in the 2012 elections. "Because of the tragedy that has occurred, we ought to just appreciate the miracle it is that she survived and let it play out organically rather than force the issue."

Trent Humphries, one of the founders of the Tucson Tea Party, said he agrees on a personal level - "I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and wait as long as she needs. I wouldn't want to see a special election this year. I don't think it's the time for it."

But Humphries said he understands where some of the questions are coming from, too. "There's this dichotomy, where you hear how well she's doing and everything's hopeful, but then people want a timeline."

Media reports have set up an expectation that she'll be back soon, Humphries said. Meanwhile, he said, there has been no independent verification of her condition.

"People deserve to have representation. I'm not saying that we get to three months and now we have to make that decision, but there comes a point when people are going to want an honest assessment of how long it will be and whether she'll be back before the next election."

Pima County Democratic Chairman Jeff Rogers said he hasn't heard any such rumblings of impatience, even though the Democratic field in the U.S. Senate race for Jon Kyl's seat has been held in abeyance at least to some degree while awaiting word if she's going to run. No one wants to get in if she would be interested and able. "The last thing I said to her at her victory party was, 'What do you think? Will it be Governor Giffords or Senator Giffords?' " Rogers recalled.

Whether that's realistic now is unclear. Her staff has declined to speculate on her future political career, saying she is focused on getting better.

Rogers acknowledged that if Giffords were to recover and run for the U.S. Senate, she can wait as long as she needs because she has the name ID and the wherewithal to raise money overnight. Other candidates - some being mentioned are Regent Fred DuVal and former Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens - would need to work on both name ID and money. But Rogers said there's no rush. "I haven't thought about what those dates are. We're just in her corner, hoping and praying for her."

With Republicans firmly in control of the U.S. House, issues aren't being decided by one-vote margins anyway, Rogers said. "There can't be anybody who doesn't think she should be able to heal and go back to work. This was in the line of duty, after all. It's not like it was a car accident. She was doing her job when this happened."

Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at rbodfield@azstarnet.com or 573-4243.