2 six 4, I can't quite gauge the tone of your thread... are you saying that the controller shouldnt have foned in sick cos he had toothache, and should have sat there all night in pain with your lives in his hands???
Or are you just commenting on the lack of spare staff to cover for sickness on nightshifts? (there are no spares- one person goes sick and sectors have to be closed). Thats the way it is- NATS would rather have spares in the daytime than roster extra staff to nightshifts. Closing sectors during the day when staff go sick causes much more of an impact than closures at night time!