History Main / AnnoyingPatient

* In ''With A Bullet'', the third book of the ''ShadowOfTheTemplar'' webseries, Simon goes through a long and grueling recovery after being shot by a madman. Jeremy, tasked with looking after him, gets a great deal of verbal abuse heaped upon him, though it's less "Get me this and that, stat!" and more "I'm a ''man'' and I don't need to be babied, so fuck off!"

* [[folder: Fan Works]]

** in the fic [[http://web.archive.org/web/20051210054935/www.eeyores-efic.com/Lumps.html "Taking Your Lumps Like A Man"]], John is stuck with Chet, who drives him nuts with jokes and tv shows. But in the end, Chet leaves and Brice comes in, making John start using Chet's tactics on Brice.

In an episode of {{Matlock}}, Matlock himself is one of these, until his nurse gives him some medicine for a headache, leading to an epiphany, and a change of attitude towards the nurse.

* [[Folder: Fan Works]]

* A borderline case: in the Lensman series, when protagonist Kimball Kinnison is hospitalized, his desire to eat heartily and get back into action causes incredible friction with the hospital staff. One doctor comments that they actually like to see patients like this, as it indicates they'll likely recover completely. Later, he uses the incident as a way to cue his former nurse in on his presence in an enemy facility. Averted when Kinnison is hospitalized again, later, with a much worse condition.

* Both PlayedForLaughs and PlayedForDrama, Hank became a stay at home one to Marie in BreakingBad after Hank is in recovery from his encounter with the twins. The argument between rocks and minerals was played for laughs, but soon became a MoodWhiplash when Marie's patience wears so thin she starts stealing again.

* Perhaps the quintessential example is Elaine Benes of ''{{Seinfeld}}'', who is blacklisted by the American Medical Association. When in desperation she books an appointment with a vet, his office receives a call just moments before she sees him, and you can guess what happens.
** Or you could just tell us...

* Another ShinMegamiTensei example: Late into the main story of {{Persona 4}} [[spoiler: Ryotaro Dojima]] winds up in the hospital after a car accident, but keeps sneaking out of his room [[spoiler: because of doubts regarding his current case]]. As you can expect, the hospital staff are rather irked at this.

* An arc in ''CalvinAndHobbes'' focuses on Calvin's sickness, climaxing when he hollers '''''"ROOM SERVICE!"'''''

** ''Series/{{House}} plays this trope straight in the aptly named episode "The Jerk," where the patient is an insufferable chess player who has an almost supernatural ability to turn everybody against him (even his mother). The equally insufferable House is the only one who can stand him long enough to cure him.
*** At the end, even House can't stand him.

* In a MissMarple story by Creator/AgathaChristie, one set of characters was a pair of sisters, one whom was a chronically-ill AnnoyingPatient, and her long-suffering caretaker of a sister. It turns out that these were just false identities, though, as part of a large NefariousPlot.

* On ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', Tony can get like this . . . when minorly and/or humorously injured. When ''seriously'' injured, he suddenly becomes stoic and all "I'm fine, just let me work."

* Sheldon in ''TheBigBangTheory'' suffers from severe social ineptitude, as well as mild hypochondria, making him an absolutely awful person to have around when he becomes sick in one episode. Specifically, he continuously infuriates his neighbor, as his roommate and friends have long since learned to avoid him in this state.

* There was an episode of Steptoe and Son where Steptoe Snr was recovering from a bad back, making Harold do everything for him and constantly calling him lazy. He then discovers he is all better, but fakes illness to continue Harold waiting on him hand and foot. He's eventually caught when Harold finds evidence of him making it downstairs. The pay-back is rather amusing.

* In Series/OneHundredDeedsForEddieMcdowd, Justin breaks his leg and has to be taken care of my his parents. However, ''he's'' not the annoying patient--his sister, jealous of all the attention her little brother is getting, fakes a sprained ankle and makes her parents wait on her hand and foot. When Justin chooses to grit his teeth through the pain and bike through town to find Eddie, she actually tells their parents that ''he'' must be the faker. Her masquerade is destroyed a moment later when her mother accidentally(?) spills iced tea on her leg, causing her to jump up. By the end, Justin has made his leg worse by biking and has to be waited on ''again,'' this time by his sister as her punishment.

* {{ER}} trotted out a ton of these in its 15 year run. One of the best examples is from the first season, where a psychologist would deliberately ask the staff questions meant to irritate them. A fed-up Carol put him in a room with a recently injured boxer. Within minutes, the staff was treated to the sight and sound of the shrink getting his lights punched out.

* Alluded to in ComicStrip/BabyBlues, when Bunny is in labor with her twins. Her husband calls Daryl at one point, suggesting that he should give the ''nurse'' painkillers. A nurse can be seen leaving Bunny's room in the background, making strangling gestures and growling "Ooooh, ''that woman--!"''

* In one episode of [[CareBears Adventures in Care-a-Lot]], Grumpy takes advantage of Wingnut's willingness to help when his foot is hurt, even faking it still being hurt after it heals.

->"I am not only walking out on this case, Mr. Whiteside, I am leaving the nursing profession. I became a nurse because all my life, ever since I was a little girl, I was filled with the idea of serving a suffering humanity. After one month with you, Mr. Whiteside, I am going to work in a munitions factory. From now on, anything I can do to help exterminate the human race will fill me with the greatest of pleasure."
-->-- '''Nurse Preen''', ''TheManWhoCameToDinner''

* The entire premise of ''TheManWhoCameToDinner''- famous and acerbically witty critic Sheridan Whiteside breaks his leg on a family's doorstep and proceeds to make their life hell. The very first thing heard in the play is him howling abuse at his nurse offstage. He later finds it advantageous to pretend he hasn't recovered yet.

* In Literature/DoloresClaiborne, Vera Donovan gradually devolves from a strong-minded businesswoman to a feeble helpless old lady through the novel. It doesn't help that she [[{{Jerkass}] maliciously]] [[NobodyPoops craps the bed]] in order to make life harder for Dolores, her carer.