Tom, I hope that she recovers from her surgery and starts on the path to recovery. Hang in there with that laptop and keep us informed. I had to do about the same with my laptop year before last for a good long while. It was too far for me to drive back and forth everyday, so I rented a hospital guest room for about a month and stayed there. My wife would bring me food and changes of clothes when I needed and she got me a small refrigerator for my room and a small electric skillet so I could cook my breakfast. I sort of made it my home away from home.
Most of the hospital wireless system was password protected, but I finally found one waiting area that I could use the wireless there anytime. Before I found that spot, I had to drive to a local college and use the free wireless in their library.
There was a McDonald's across the street from the hospital that I could have bought wireless time there for a small fee, but I didn't feel safe to even go in the place. It wasn't what I call a very safe area outside the hospital grounds as it had a high crime rate in that area. If I wanted to eat out instead of in my guest room, I would drive out about 20 miles away from that area.