A senior US senator's long, unexplained hospital stay has ended in secrecy, raising real doubts about whether he can still do his job.

• Mitch McConnell has been discharged after nearly eight weeks away, moved quietly from a Washington rehab center to his Kentucky home.
• His office blames a minor fall and mild pneumonia, but there has been no video, no audio, and no public sighting — only two still photos.
• Reporters outside his home spotted a chair-lift device and home health aides, suggesting he can't stand up on his own.
• Colleagues, including Senate leader John Thune, claim to know nothing about his condition and admit they haven't visited him.
• His absence leaves Kentucky short a senator and could swing close votes, since he tried and failed to vote by proxy in a committee that doesn't allow it.

Outlook: With the Senate now in a five-week recess until mid-September, there's no pressure for him to reappear soon, and the questions about his health look set to drag on.