Has anybody taken in a sick stranger?

[Anyone]

I've read a fair amount of sneezefics in which the main character encounters a sick casual acquaintance (by casual acquaintance I mean someone who you have met in passing or had a few brief interactions with but don't really know. This is often a coworker at a large company, a customer at a store or a fellow student in a large school.) or complete stranger and takes them into their home to nurse back to health. I have enjoyed many of these stories and understand that fiction doesn't have to resemble real life, but I was wondering how realistic they really are. As a socially awkward germaphobe I find it unlikely that I would play nursemaid for an ailing stranger and also have never been in a situation where that seemed like a possible outcome. 

So have any of you ever taken in a sick stranger (or been taken in by a stranger when you were ill)? Would you ever?

[Anonymouse]

Ha! I read the title and asked why would anyone do that? before realizing your name is Anyone.

It seems like one of those things that people would only every really do in fiction. Never in a million years would I invite some rando into my home, sick or not.

[Hedgehog]

18 hours ago, Anonymouse said:

It seems like one of those things that people would only every really do in fiction. Never in a million years would I invite some rando into my home, sick or not.

I agree with @Anonymouse. I would help someone who looks dangerously ill, would call an ambulance and stay with them until professional help is there. But I'd never take someone like that home. (and I can't enjoy stories about such situations because they're so unrealistic)

Edited January 13, 2018 by Hedgehog

[Chanel_no5]

Personally, I run away from anyone who's sick. No, but seriously, I strongly doubt it, but it's one of the few ways to have one character witnessing cold symptoms for a prolonged time and taking care of another character in fiction, unless the characters are already an item.  

It's probably like the fanfiction favourite "forced to share a hotel room and oh look there's only one bed"-trope. It's a nice fantasy, but I very much doubt that happens in real life (unless it's really close friends, but even then, I don't think it's realistic). Luckily, fiction and fantasy doesn't always have to be realistic.  

[Show&tell]

It can be fun to read about! But to echo other peoples sentiments, I doubt this EVER happens in real life.  1 in a billion.  :/

[Hedgehog]

For a change of perspective - if I were the sick person, I wouldn't go with any stranger to their home either. 

[Snapdragon]

It's one of those tropes that always strikes me as a little odd in a realistic/modern-day setting, but I can definitely jam to in fantasy fiction. If you're a hedge-witch in some little cottage miles from civilization and there's a gorgeous yet sickly stranger collapsing from exhaustion in the woods outside your home, you can hardly call them an ambulance, after all.

(...this thread has me wanting to write fic now, oh noooo)

[starsoup]

Good lord, no.  Once my boyfriend's mother got sick while she was visiting.  It was like the worst three days of my life.  Actually I would rather take in a stranger than repeat that experience again.

[MaiMai]

I agree with everyone else that the whole taking-in-a-stranger thing is a romantic concept, but...not something I can see happening irl.

Although can I just add:

On 16/01/2018 at 5:06 AM, Cashew said:

It's one of those tropes that always strikes me as a little odd in a realistic/modern-day setting, but I can definitely jam to in fantasy fiction. If you're a hedge-witch in some little cottage miles from civilization and there's a gorgeous yet sickly stranger collapsing from exhaustion in the woods outside your home, you can hardly call them an ambulance, after all.

(...this thread has me wanting to write fic now, oh noooo)

This whole idea is adorable.

[Snapdragon]

On 28/01/2018 at 9:08 PM, MaiMai said:

This whole idea is adorable.

Right? I really want to work it into a fic one day

[MaiMai]

11 minutes ago, Cashew said:

Right? I really want to work it into a fic one day

I would 10000 per cent read this. Especially fantasy, omg. It works so perfectly with the trope <3

[vampire_sneeze]

On 1/31/2018 at 7:45 AM, MaiMai said:

I would 10000 per cent read this. Especially fantasy, omg. It works so perfectly with the trope <3

same!!

[beijoseternura]

Hello, your thoughts are very interesting to read.

Why shouldn't it be possible? I would also be cautious and maybe a bit suspiciously if it were an adult.

I understood this question if we would let a stranger into our apartment if he was sick, like a cold?

 

I've had two situations in my life, one was in Portugal. A boy around ten years fell off his bike and had injured his legs, arms and face very bad.

It happened right in front of our apartment and my brother and I let him in to clean his wounds.

Another time I brought a boy to the Doctor who had to heave continuously on the street - at that time I was 17 years old.

Just yesterday I helped a boy who had fallen down on the street, I asked him if he was injured, thank God he was fine, but if he had bled,

I would have taken him in my apartment to give him a plaster/bandage and maybe to call his mother to pick him up.
Such things, salvage should be self-evident.... 

[Hedgehog]

@beijoseternura - well, I mentioned that I would HELP an injured or sick stranger. I think that goes without saying. In the first situation you mentioned I would also let someone inside to help them clean their wounds (and call an ambulance). But the stories I read were that someone met a sick stranger wherever and took them home (or followed them to their place). I don't see a reason to do such a thing; and I would find it quite creepy, too. *shrugs*

[beijoseternura]

Hello hedgehog  
Thank you for explaining the question to me again. Now I understand better. And I think you are right. When it comes to take a stranger to your home, it is a different situation. For example, in some movies, like 'Cold Mountain' or 'Oliver Twist', there were such situations, but they played in another century. I like such scenes in movies, or even books, fictions. Everyone should do what is possible to help others. I needed an ambulance four times in my lifetime and three times I have been on my own in these situations. There were always people who could have helped me, but they did not want to ... The only comment I got from an older lady was: "Yes, life is hard!"

Such experiences engrave you, and whenever I can, I like to help other people, of course.

[Hedgehog]

On 11.5.2018 at 9:21 AM, beijoseternura said:

I needed an ambulance four times in my lifetime and three times I have been on my own in these situations. There were always people who could have helped me, but they did not want to ... The only comment I got from an older lady was: "Yes, life is hard!"

Oh dear - I'm sorry you had to endure something awful like that. Helping a person in need shouldn't only be a matter of course, it's an obligation, too. Those who don't help commit a crime called "denial of assistance" - at least that's the legal position in our country...

[RediChalyn]

Well I personally wouldn't let a stranger into my home or anything to do with a stranger.  But if the person is a friend or S/O I'd be more inclined to either let them stay at my place or go to their place but that's different because there's already a familiarity.  In fiction, I hesitate to write or even rp such a scenario because it's so overdone however it can still be fun and like someone else has said it's a way for the characters to be with each other witnessing the sick sneeziness for a prolonged time (not to mention the caretaking)
  In a fantasy scenario this works much better I think.  I've never investigated a hedge witch idea, but getting one room at the tavern to share with someone you just met because there aren't any other rooms has worked well.  Not to mention the whole travelling companions camping and sneezing by the fire idea.  Now I wanna write a fic!