The Magic of Backstitching

I love backstitching. Sometimes it's unnecessary or doesn't add all that much to your project. Sometimes it takes the project from a formless blob of colored stitches to an actual image. Like this one, a formless blob that you can kind of tell is Mickey Mouse in firefigher's gear:

To an adorable Mickey holding an axe and ready to save the day (or something):

This is a project for a friend. I've been involved in a food study where I get poked and prodded all Saturday during study weeks, and there's one phlebotomist that manages to make it mostly painless and mostly stress-free for my sometimes difficult-to-puncture veins. He was commenting on my Mickey and the Fireman cross stitch while I was finishing it up one weekend and keeps asking me when it'll be framed and ready to hang in his office. That one's going to my grandfather, but since he's such a nice guy I figured I'd make a quick(ish) 5x7 for his office. My last session is this week, so I'm trying to get it done by Saturday or Sunday morning for him. Now, do I sacrifice sleep or paper writing to get it done on time?