Medical Necessity

It's too bad I've been fortunate enough to have me and mine enjoy good health overall (<--sarcasm), because now when I need it, I don't have experience to draw upon.

I need a medical problem to prevent someone from doing something they would ordinarily do. Its treatment can't be deferred--it needs attention now--yet it cannot have long-term impact on the person's health. Ideally, it will involve either hospitalization for 1-2 days, or outpatient treatment and bed rest, during which the recovering person really ought not to be left at home alone.

The medical necessity can be for either person of a couple. They are both in their forties. She is a Little Person (dwarf, although I have not yet determined what type of dwarfism she has and may not even get into that). He is of normal stature. Their health is essentially good.

Whatever the problem I assign, it will need to be quickly explainable so I convince the reader (and the cops) that it's legitimate for them not to act, without bogging down the story in anyone's medical woes.

Thanks in advance!

Maryn, who wrote a whole half page yesterday, woo-hoo

Sheesh, I had to wait nine whole minutes for five solid suggestions!

Food poisoning, that would really work. You're sick as a dog for about a day, as I recall, starting 6-12 hours after you eat the sausage and mushroom pizza from Godfather's Pizza in Austin, Texas in the fall of 1980. (When we called to tell them we'd both gotten sick, they didn't care, so I'm sure they'll be delighted at this plug.)

Thanks, Ella!

Oh, my--this has turned into an embarrassment of riches, idea-wise. I had hoped to find one or two ailments tht fit my needs, and now I have so many good ideas presented that selecting the best one might be difficult.

Thank you all!

Maryn, who only wrote a half page yesterday