History Main / UnbrokenVigil

** Also, Shinji remained by the side of [[spoiler:a comatose Asuka]] in ''End of Evangelion''. However the usual connotations of "caretaking" are subverted [[ADateWithRosiePalms rather harshly.]]

* Mikiya Kokutou visits Shiki every damn week for two years that she spends in a coma in ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners''. This even earns him the nickname "Puppy-kun" among the hospital staff.
* The title character of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' herself did this for Kyon [[spoiler:after he gets stabbed but she thinks he fell down the stairs. It's complicated.]]

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': In the episode "Charizard Chills", Ash's Charizard nearly dies after a fight with a Poliwrath freezes it and nearly extinguishes its flame. While Charizard was unconscious, Ash stayed up through the night to keep it warm. It is this vigil that finally drives the previously prideful and disobedient Charizard to [[TookALevelInKindness take a level in kindness]] and begin to listen to Ash for the first time since evolving into Charmeleon.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Excalibur}}'', Nightcrawler keeps a constant vigil with Rachel Summers after she lapses into a coma following the defeat of Necrom.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** [[TheStoic Squall Leonheart]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' did this for [[TheChick Rinoa]], when possession by [[BigBad Ultimecia]] left her in a magically induced coma. Frustrated that he was getting nowhere watching over her at Balamb Garden, though, he took the vigil on the move by carrying her across the world to [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas Esthar]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' liked this one: first, it was [[TheChick Yukari]] watching over the [[HeroicMime Main Character]] during his week-long coma after he first summoned his Persona, saving her life in the process. Later in the game, [[IdiotHero Junpei]] would utterly refuse to leave [[ElegantGothicLolita Chidori's]] side throughout her hospitalization/confinement, despite her own insistence. In fact, it's ''because'' of this dedication that Chidori [[spoiler:[[DefrostingIceQueen warms up to him]], then realizes that her life is worth something to someone, which goes against everything she believed in while she was a part of Strega]].

* Happens in real life far more often than many people realize [[UnreliableNarrator if the stories are to be believed]].

** [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Aigis]] [[RobotGirl herself]] takes this to a rather [[StalkerWithACrush creepy]] extreme, watching over the Main Character ''all the time'', to the point of timing herself on how fast she can pick the lock to his room each night.

If a character, often a hero, is in a coma, unconscious, ill beyond lucidity, has had their soul stolen, has just had major surgery or whatever, then the odds are that they will have a friend or family member who refuses to leave their side. Ignoring all distractions and necessities, they will keep watch over them. Other well-meaning characters may urge the watcher to go take care of themselves, but their efforts always fail. As long as their charge is helpless, the watcher isn't going ''anywhere''.

* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': Sayaka to Kouji in episode 52, when he was hospitalized after being badly wounded in a battle (she was also feeling guilty since they had got a fight before -- they bicker constantly, but this time it was ''serious'' -- and she had refused backing in battle). And Kouji to his little brother Shiro in ''Mazinger-Z versus Great General of Darkness'' when he fell into a coma after a ceiling crumbled onto him.

* This happens in ''Player Kill'', when Yonggi spends the night at the hospital after [[spoiler:Gihoon gets blinded by Harata for [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim sparing him]]]].

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': The main character does this, in [[GenderBender female form]], for a sickly young boy. He had nearly died the night before because he [[IntimateHealing would only accept his medicine if she delivered it with a kiss]], and she felt responsible for the situation. Predictably, by the time he wakes up she has fallen asleep on his bedside, so the first thing he does is try to kiss her again, and gets a pounding for his efforts. He never did find out that it was the ''[[{{Gonk}} doctor]]'' who [[IntimateHealing gave him the medicine]].

** In ''ComicBook/TheLastDaysOfSuperman'', the Man of Steel is dying from an incurable illness. As he is bedridden, Lois Lane sits by his side and refuses to leave. Eventually, she passes out due to a combination of hunger, dehydration and lack of sleep, and Superman asks Jimmy to take her back to Metropolis.

** In chapter 8 when Ritsuko comes around after getting hurt Maya is by her side. She had spent hours waiting for her waking up.

* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': Daniel managed to rescue and mend Kyoko's soul and bonded it with her body. However, Kyoko needed several weeks sleeping as her body and soul healed until she was ready to wake up. While she was comatose Asuka remained by her side constantly, and a priestess took her place when Asuka had to leave her and Shinji's cabin.

* Butler began his career by watching over Literature/ArtemisFowl in the maternity ward and hasn't let up since (except the parts involving time-travel).

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': The main character does this, in [[GenderBender female form]], for a [[IllGirl sickly young boy]]. He had nearly died the night before because he [[IntimateHealing would only accept his medicine if she delivered it with a kiss]], and she felt responsible for the situation. Predictably, by the time he wakes up she has fallen asleep on his bedside, so the first thing he does is try to kiss her again, and gets a pounding for his efforts. He never did find out that it was the ''[[{{Gonk}} doctor]]'' who [[IntimateHealing gave him the medicine]].

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/CoronationStreet https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unbroken_vigil_4_6499.jpg]]]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/CoronationStreet https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unbroken_vigil_4_6499.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1165329/Drunkard-Corrie-dad-Peter-Barlow-keeps-vigil-son-Simons-bedside-fights-life.html Source]]]]

* The titular character of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' does this, in [[GenderBender female form]], for a [[IllGirl sickly young boy]]. He had nearly died the night before because he [[IntimateHealing would only accept his medicine if she delivered it with a kiss]], and she felt responsible for the situation. Predictably, by the time he wakes up she has fallen asleep on his bedside, so the first thing he does is try to kiss her again, and gets a pounding for his efforts. He never did find out that it was the ''[[{{Gonk}} doctor]]'' who [[IntimateHealing gave him the medicine]].

* Mac watched an unconscious and injured Flack in the hospital and later, Mac himself was watched over by Christine after being shot in ''{{Series/CSI NY}}''.

* ''{{Franchise/CSI}}'':
** D.B. Russell reveals in ''{{Series/CSICyber}}'' that he kept vigil by Finn’s bed after she was left near death in ''{{Series/CSI}}''. Sadly, that series’ finale indicates she died.
** Mac watched an unconscious and injured Flack in the hospital and later, Mac himself was watched over by Christine after being shot in ''{{Series/CSI NY}}''.

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Shuffle}}'', when Asa wakes up in the hospital in Episode 20 after collapsing at the end of the previous episode, Rin is asleep at her bedside.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* In ''ComicBook/{{Excalibur}}'', Nightcrawler keeps a constant vigil with Rachel/Phoenix after she lapses into a coma following the defeat of Necrom.
* Subverted in ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' story ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga''. Saturn Girl stands by Lightning Lad's side after her husband falls into a fever-induced coma, but she has to reluctantly leave him when a Servant of Darkness attacks the Legion HQ and injures ComicBook/CosmicBoy.

Sister trope to ConverseWithTheUnconscious, which often occurs in conjecture with the UnbrokenVigil.

* ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger'': Just before the Battle of Beacon, Nora falls into a coma after [[TuckAndCover using her body to shield Ren from an explosion]]. After moving Nora to a safe zone, Ren spends the remainder of the Fall of Beacon watching over her comatose body to make sure that no further harm befalls her. The only time he leaves her side is for less than a minute when he makes his ReunionVow with his teammate Pyrrha, who is parting ways with him in preparation for her showdown with the BigBad.

* The famous [[http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/dog-stands-guard-over-deceased-owner-grave-six-190556479.html Japanese dog]] UsefulNotes/{{Hachiko}} was so beloved that a statue stands in his memory at the train station where he would return to wait for his late master to come home from work every day after said master died at work.

* In the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Missing}}'', Holmes sits beside the feverish Watson the entire time he's sick, to the point of falling asleep sprawled half-across the doctor's bed when he can no longer keep his eyes open.

* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', Clare suffers a serious injury after a fight against a very strong yoma and as a result, she is AsleepForDays. During this time Raki stayed by her side praying for her to wake up.

* LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya herself did this for Kyon [[spoiler:after he gets stabbed but she thinks he fell down the stairs. It's complicated.]]

* Mikiya Kokutou visits Shiki every damn week for two years that she spends in a coma in ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai''. This even earns him the nickname "Puppy-kun" among the hospital staff.

* In ''{{VisualNovel/Shuffle}}'', when Asa wakes up in the hospital in Episode 20 after collapsing at the end of the previous episode, Rin is asleep at her bedside.

* Contrary to the canonical example above, a lot ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'' fanfics centering on Casca getting cured of her insanity involve Guts never leaving her side until she awakens (since in most of these fics, Casca goes into a coma-like state as part of the healing process).

* In a ''Anime/CodeGeass'' continuation C.C [[spoiler:watches Lelouch, waiting for him to wake up from his first]] death. Found [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6969408/6/In_the_End here]]''Comic

* In the Anime/{{Gungrave}} fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11750894/1/The-Hellhound-of-Billion The Hellhound of Billion]], after having the anti-necrolyzed bullets taken out of him, Brandon almost dies of a hemorrhagic shock. As he remains comatose with dropping blood pressure, increased heart rate, and a cold body, William, [[BenevolentBoss Biscoe]], and [[MoralityPet Mika]] spend the night watching over him. Mika, however, [[TummyCushion eventually falls asleep on his torso]], after shooing [[MeanBoss Norton]], who tries to wake Brandon up by hitting his surgical wounds.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fanfic ''FanFic/MemoriesBornOfFire'', Spock plants himself by Kirk's side after the captain is poisoned on Altair VI, only leaving (reluctantly) when Kirk orders him to get some rest.