Ack! Isn't that the most frustrating of work! Sorry to hear you've been ill again, though encouraged to know that Ben is well enough to be out with Syau.

That's impressive for a shop-bought basil. The way they cut them out of the ground usually removes all viable roots, though they will sometimes grow if split and re-potted, but they tend to grow with much smaller leaves (as nature intended) rather than the ginormous affairs that forced growth generates.