History Main / AnnoyingPatient

Another common variation is to have the sick character ''[[PlayingSick faking]]'' [[PLayingSick the illness in one way or another]], or hiding the fact that they're quickly getting better because they don't want the pampering to end. After their abused caretaker discovers this, the tables are often turned, and they become the servant by the end of the episode.

Another common variation is to have the sick character [[PlayingSick ''faking'' the illness in one way or another]], or hiding the fact that they're quickly getting better because they don't want the pampering to end. After their abused caretaker discovers this, the tables are often turned, and they become the servant by the end of the episode.

** The worst part is that she ''wasn't'' this, just branded as such because she didn't want to put on a hospital gown.

** In another episode, Niles' wife Maris is admitted to the hospital for a cosmetic procedure, Niles in seen on the phone assuring her that the IV fluid is "low-calorie". He's later seen buying gifts for the hospital staff as an apology for having to deal with her. When one nurse tells him "I worked the night shift", he immediately hands her a second box with a nice watch.

* There was an episode of ''Series/{{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.

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Wings}}'' the recurring character Carlton takes a fall down Helen's stairs, forcing her to take care of him with the threat of his "big lawyer son" who wants to sue. When Helen finally catches him dancing in front of the TV, he gives up the deception, and for good measure, dials the annoying UpToEleven (typical for Carlton):

* In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' in which Deanna Troi loses her empathic powers, she becomes the ''insufferable'' patient.

* 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.

-->'''Mokey:''' Don't be so hard on him, Red. Being sick can be very difficult.\\

** In another episode, Niles' wife Maris is admitted to the hospital for a cosmetic procedure, Niles in seen on the phone assuring her that the IV fluid is "low-calorie". He's later seen buying gifts for the hospital staff as an apology for having to deal with her--when one nurse tells him "I worked the night shift", he immediately takes away the small box he gave her and replaces it with a much larger one.

-->''Mokey'': Don't be so hard on him, Red. Being sick can be very difficult.\\
''Red'': Oh, Gobo's not being difficult... [[SuddenlyShouting HE'S BEING IMPOSSIBLE!]]

* In the ''SeriesAdventuresInWonderland'' episode "The Hatter Who Came to Dinner," the Hatter becomes an annoying patient to the Queen and the White Rabbit after he hurts his back while trimming the Queen's hedges and has to stay at the palace until it's better.

-->''Red'': Oh, Gobo's not being difficult... [[SuddenlyShouting HE'S BEING IMPOSSIBLE!]]

-->''Red'': Oh, Gobo's not being difficult... [[SuddenlyShouting HE'S BEING IMPOSSIBLE!]]\\

* ''Series/FraggleRock'': In "Pebble Pox Blues," while Boober and Wembley set out to FindTheCure for Gobo's pebble pox, Gobo drives Red crazy with his moaning and groaning and nonstop demands.

Another common variation is to have the sick character [[PlayingSick ''faking'' the illness in one way or another]]. After their abused caretaker discovers this, the tables are often turned, and they become the servant by the end of the episode.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'', Dale pretends to break his leg in order to sit around on his ass during a mission and get attention from Gadget. He's later found out and then breaks his leg for real, and now he hates sitting on his ass all day.

* Sarah, in the ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "Is There An Ed In the House?"

* In ''Literature/GoingPostal'', Mr. Groat, a man who believes in a very strange type of AllNaturalSnakeOil, has to be taken to the Lady Sybil Hospital after the Post Office fire and his being attacked by [[OurBansheesAreLouder a banshee.]] He proceeds to become an Annoying Patient by refusing to actually let doctors and nurses interact with him, including protesting that he can't take a bath because soap "washes away your natural effluviences" and complaining that he had to receive a "trouserectomy." Also, his toupee was taken away, but escaped from the cabinet on its own. While the nurses are fed up, Dr. Lawn views Mr. Groat as something of a scientific curiosity, but not so much that he won't allow him to leave.

* ''WesternAnimation/TopCat'': In the episode ''The Late T.C.'', Dibble overhears part of a conversation between Top Cat and a doctor, and mistakenly believes Top Cat is dying. T.C. takes advantage of this to make Dibble bring him food, throw him parties, etc.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' - Angelica fakes a broken leg, almost causing Aunt Didi and Uncle Stu to have a nervous breakdown. She even made Stu [[MemeticMutation make her pudding at 4 in the morning]]. In the end, Angelica's mom Charlotte comes home with a ''real'' broken leg, and is just as demanding to Angelica and her dad as Angelica was.

A sick character (usually the flu) is selflessly tended to by another, unless of course the latter also ''caused'' the malady. The sick character will inevitably abuse the situation and be as demanding and obnoxious as possible. In a sitcom, this immediately occurs right after they're given a summoning bell.

* An arc in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' focuses on Calvin's sickness, climaxing when he hollers '''''"ROOM SERVICE!"''''' On the flip side, his doctor commented that the flu he had made Calvin a much more agreeable patient.

--> '''Doctor''': Kid, do you want me to recant the Hippocratic Oath?

** In a ''Literature/MissMarple'' story, one set of characters is a pair of sisters, one whom is a chronically ill Annoying Patient, and her long-suffering caretaker of a sister. It turns out that these are just false identities, though, as part of a large NefariousPlot.

* 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.

* ''Series/{{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.
* In the ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' episode "Flu Season", April gets the flu and has stay in the hospital, using the opportunity to give this treatment to Ann, who she's holding a grudge against for kissing her love interest Andy. Ann takes it all like a true professional until the very ''second'' her shift ends, at which point she shouts, "What the ''[[PrecisionFStrike fuck]]'' is wrong with you?!" and calls April out on her pettiness.
* Both PlayedForLaughs and PlayedForDrama, Hank became a stay at home one to Marie in ''Series/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.

* Squidward in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Can You Spare A Dime?". In this case, it's not illness, but unemployment.

** In another episode, Funshine got a case of [[MalfunctionMalady Bubbles]], and had to stay in bed for a whole day. In this case, he was an annoying patient because he kept getting out of bed to play outside, and his friends had to capture him each time to get him back inside. In the end they all came down with it from chasing after him so much.

* In ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', Mr. Groat, a man who believes in a very strange type of AllNaturalSnakeOil, has to be taken to the Lady Sybil Hospital after the Post Office fire and his being attacked by [[OurBansheesAreLouder a banshee.]] He proceeds to become an Annoying Patient by refusing to actually let doctors and nurses interact with him, including protesting that he can't take a bath because soap "washes away your natural effluviences" and complaining that he had to receive a "trouserectomy." Also, his toupee was taken away, but escaped from the cabinet on its own. While the nurses are fed up, Dr. Lawn views Mr. Groat as something of a scientific curiosity, but not so much that he won't allow him to leave.

Contrast its opposite, NurseWithGoodIntentions.

** Played 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. And at the end, even House can't stand him.

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* Pick any ''{{Series/Emergency}}'' fic where Gage is hurt. He never wants to stay as long as the doctors want, he says he's feeling better than he is, and if Roy is hurt too, they'll sneak off to each other's room. ThePatientHasLeftTheBuilding is common as well.
* 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.
* The ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/DownToAgincourt'' has Dean struck by a nearly mortal illness, and when he's lucid he's an annoying patient of the "tries to do too much" variety. When he's delirious, though, he tries to exorcise, strangle, and/or ''stab'' his caregivers.
* [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Phoenix]] is this to Iris in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8824619/15/Through-the-Years Through the Years]]'' when she nurses him from his cold, mostly because he thinks she's completely overreacting.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'' has several interactions like this between Wrestling/SashaBanks (a nurse) and Wrestling/BeckyLynch (a criminal). Becky is annoying and sarcastic by nature throughout the story, and Sasha gets increasingly fed up with having to treat the various injuries she gets, usually in the process of killing people.

[[folder:Film]]
* The Colonel in ''Film/CarryOnNurse'' infuriates the nurses with his incessant demands on their time. Similar characters appear in the other medically-themed ''Carry On'' films, such as Creator/FrankieHowerd's character in ''Film/CarryOnDoctor''.

* In a Literature/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.
** These characters ''abound'' in Creator/AgathaChristie's works, bordering on AssholeVictim, with the husband always being the prime suspect.
* In ''Literature/HowlsMovingCastle'' Howl was a terrible patient. Sophie ignored him, though Michael his apprentice did plenty of running around when he was in. There were no consequences for Howl.

* A borderline case: in the ''Literature/{{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.
** Part of the difference might be the simple fact that the first time, Kinnison knows that he was injured by being an idiot, and he's frustrated.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

** In a later episode "The Hot Towel", he manages to get his doctor's home number on the condition that he will only use it when it's absolutely neccessary. He ends up calling it accidentally and tries to start a conversation with the annoyed doctor.

* [[spoiler:Dr. Glassman]] becomes an example of this in season 2 of ''Series/{{The Good Doctor}}'', doing everything he can to antagonize Dr. Blaize (and, to a lesser extent, Shaun) during treatment for [[spoiler:his brain cancer]].

-->'''Ted:''' Oh, how's Barney feeling?
-->'''Robin:''' You mean the whiny bottomless pit of neediness? He was bugging me, so I spiked his echinacea tea with codeine.
-->'''Ted:''' You're gonna be a great mom.
* On an episode of ''{{Series/Wings}}'' the recurring character Carlton takes a fall down Helen's stairs, forcing her to take care of him with the threat of his "big lawyer son" who wants to sue. When Helen finally catches him dancing in front of the TV, he gives up the deception, and for good measure, dials the annoying UpToEleven (typical for Carlton):
-->'''Carlton:''' I may have exaggerated about my son.
-->'''Helen:''' Oh, he's not really a big-shot lawyer, is he?
-->'''Carlton:''' I don't have a son.

* In ''Series/TheLucyShow'' Vivian trips over a toy that Lucy's son Jerry had left out, and sprains her ankle. Taking full advantage of Lucy's remorse, she exaggerates her injury, stays in bed far longer than necessary, runs Lucy ragged with constant demands, and threatens to call her attorney every time Lucy hesitates.
--> '''Lucy''': (brings Vivian her supper in bed).
--> '''Vivian''': Cut my meat!
--> '''Lucy''': Viv, it's your ankle that's sprained, not your hands.
--> '''Vivian''': (picks up telephone, starts to dial)
--> '''Lucy''': (cuts the meat)

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]
* An arc in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' focuses on Calvin's sickness, climaxing when he hollers '''''"ROOM SERVICE!"''''' On the flip side, his doctor commented that the flu he had made Calvin a much more agreeable patient.
** To be honest, this trope pretty much fits any arc where Calvin gets sick and goes to the doctor.
--> '''Doctor''': Kid, do you want me to recant the Hippocratic Oath?
* 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--!"''

[[folder:Theatre]]
* The entire premise of ''Theatre/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. The current trope quote is Sheridan's nurse telling him off the moment she's had enough and exposing that she's been MaddenedIntoMisanthropy before storming off the house.

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* ''VisualNovel/LifesignsSurgicalUnit'' has a few of these, most notably Kagayaki.
* Akihiko Sanada makes a lousy patient after being injured at the beginning of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', due to his [[ICanStillFight eagerness to return to fighting]]. As Mitsuru is the one looking after him, the main character only sees occasional hints of this when he expresses boredom and frustration, or schemes to rejoin the fight behind Mitsuru's back. Later in the game, however, the main character becomes ill following a minor event. Afterwards, Mitsuru specifically requests that s/he rest quietly until well again and NOT subject her to a repeat performance of what she went through with Akihiko, indicating she really had her hands full during that time.
* Another Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei example: Late into the main story of ''VideoGame/{{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.

[[folder: Web Original ]]
* In ''With A Bullet'', the third book of the ''Literature/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]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' Discord is like this when he gets sick with Blue Flu in "Three's a Crowd". [[spoiler: It turns out that he was faking it, but his shenanigans [[HoistByHisOwnPetard result in him getting sick for ''real'']]. He's more well-behaved the second time around.]]

* The entire premise of ''Theatre/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.