tropes: signing out against medical advice.

[sealie]

Why is this trope so prevalent? Jim Ellison hates hospitals, John Sheppard will hide under his puddlejumper after escaping from the infirmary, Steve McGarrett’s bum barely touches an ER gurney before he’s escaped…. And every time my hero makes a break for it, I think twit.

Is it because, we can have hero who’s hurting and likely to have an emergency and end up back in hospital?

What is it with this trope?

Comments

[sholio]

Ahahaha, I don't know! It was so common in SGA that there were whole fics making fun of it, and meta about "why does Sheppard hate the infirmary" like it's actual canon (which it totally wasn't).

Nothing says "I am a rational adult who makes good life choices" like staggering out of the hospital when you've just been in surgery.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

bleeding profusely because you've yanked out your IVs... again

[sholio]

... fainting on your way down the hospital stairs, tumbling down the steps, waking up back in your hospital room with a concussion ...

[lodondria.livejournal.com]

I think it has something to do with being an active person pinned down in a bed and not reacting well to enforced inactivity, though I'll admit to snickering at the "And now stay there this time, damn you" bellowing of the various medics dealing with them.

OTOH, I personally witnessed the attempted escape of a person who was absolutely positive that they were compos mentis and not staying put for one minute more in that recovery room bed. The person in question managed to get pants on, and detached herself from the machinery (post surgery) and almost made it out, except for the pesky wall that jumped into her path. Of course, alarms had gone off at the nursing station and they were right there, but she ended up restrained. Definitely non compos mentis, I'd undergone surgery myself and I wasn't going to move until they threw me out.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

Ahah, discombobulation totally makes sense.

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

Every time I've been in hospital it's been horrible. You get the worst diseases and infections, you're treated like shit by most of the staff, trapped in a bed, in pain and unable to get help or to the toilet. Much better to be at home, in your own space, no bed pans or bad tempered nurses. Hospital is just a place to go to die.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

You see that's a reason that I can completely get behind, rather than my guts are no longer hanging out of my abdomen; I sewed them up with toothfloss, and I'm fine scenario.

I want to see that reason in a fic. "I'm capable of looking after myself, I want to leave before I get MRSA."

[mcparrot.livejournal.com]

Third time trying to comment. (New tablet)

I think it has a lot to do with giving the other characters/significant other a chance to give active hurt/comfort because otherwise they're relegated to sitting on a chair, watching the hero sleep and deciding if they're brave enough to hold hands.

That and the fact that you get more woobie for your money if they're struggling with getting their trousers on by themselves rather than if they're lying in bed being cared for by an anonymous nurse.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

❤More woobie for your money ❤

I remember writing a Battlestar Galatica story years and years ago, and Apollo was in a coma for 90% of the story... and so utterly, utterly boring. Starbuck took over the fic.

❤More woobie for your money ❤

[mcparrot.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

Heeee
I have no idea how you make love hearts on LJ, but glad you liked that.