History Main / WeJustNeedToWaitForRescue

* A somewhat downplayed example is the primary source of conflict in the first third of ''Literature/TheDayOfTheTriffids''. There are two notable groups of survivors of the blindness plague; one is trying desperately to keep those blinded alive until some official relief effort arrives, while another has deduced that there's not going to ''be'' one and that they need to get the hell out of London while they still can. [[spoiler A second, outright deadly plague renders the question academic after a few weeks, but the second group were quite right.]] It also deconstructs AmericaSavesTheDay; those who believe that the Americans will come to their aid like in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII end up dead because America has undergone the same apocalypse.

* In ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'', the kids end up divided between those who want to wait for the military and those who want to turn into crazy savages. Rescue ''does'' eventually come, but only at the very end of the story, after several of the children have been killed, and innocence has been irreperably broken.

** In the third segment of ''The Wettest Stories Ever Told'', which parodies ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'', Chief Wiggum's character insists that instead of trying to make their way through the overturned ship and cut their way through the thinnest part of the hull, they should stay where they are, resume their vacation activites and wait for rescue. He then turns to the ship's dance instructor to resume their lesson, even though said instructor is halfway eaten by a shark that came in through a hole in the roof.

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* In ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', Shane is more proactive about finding the military, wanting to head to Fort Benning instead of waiting for the military to come to them. This is after he had seen the military executing [[spoiler:possibly infected]] civilians at the hospital in Cynthiana.

* ''Manga/DriftingClassroom'': The deranged Mr. Sekyia, the only remaining adult at this point, eventually usurps control of the school, and refuses to belive that the school has actually been transported into a post-apocalyptic future, insisting that there's just been some mysterious local disaster and soon "the Americans" will arrive and save them all.

* In ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'', the kids end up divided between those who want to wait for the military and those who want to turn into crazy savages.

* A somewhat downplayed example is the primary source of conflict in the first third of ''Literature/TheDayOfTheTriffids''. There are two notable groups of survivors of the blindness plague; one is trying desperately to keep those blinded alive until some official relief effort arrives, while another has deduced that there's not going to ''be'' one and that they need to get the hell out of London while they still can. [[spoiler: A second, outright deadly plague renders the question academic after a few weeks, but the second group were quite right.]] It also deconstructs AmericaSavesTheDay; those who believe that the Americans will come to their aid like in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII end up dead because America has undergone the same apocalypse.

** In the third segment of ''The Wettest Stories Ever Told'', which parodies ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'', Chief Wiggums character insists that instead of trying to make their way through the overturned ship and cut their way through the thinnest part of the hull, they should stay where they are, resume their vacation activites and wait for rescue. He then turns to the ship's dance instructor to resume their lesson, even though said instructor is halfway eaten by a shark that came in through a hole in the roof.

* In ''Film/{{Tremors}}'', this suggestion is offered up since someone is bound to notice trouble with the phone lines and road damage blocking the entrance to town. It's immediately shot down as unrealistic. The film cuts away to show that someone from the phone company did indeed show up... and was eaten by the Graboids.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In the third segment of ''The Wettest Stories Ever Told'', which parodies ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'', Chief Wiggums character insists that instead of trying to make their way through the overturned ship and cut their way through the thinnest part of the hull, they should stay where they are, resume their vacation activites and wait for rescue. He then turns to the ship's dance instructor to resume their lesson, even though said instructor is halfway eaten by a shark that came in through a hole in the roof.

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* In Series/TheWalkingDead, Shane is more proactive about finding the military, wanting to head to Fort Benning instead of waiting for the military to come to them. This is after he had seen the military executing [[spoiler:possibly infected]] civilians at the hospital in Cynthiana.

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* In VideoGame/DeadIsland, John Sinamoi and the survivors he leads at the lifeguard station are simply waiting for the military to arrive instead of trying to find a way off of the island. This led to some survivors, led by James Stein, to break off from the group and go to the lighthouse, where they search for an alternative way off the island.
* In VideoGame/Left4Dead, the survivors aren't actively searching for the military, but are happy to find a military evacuation point. Unfortunately for them, the soldiers are debating if they should kill them since they are carriers. This causes them to avoid anything to do with the military from there on out.
** In VideoGame/Left4Dead2, the military is much more sinister, killing hundreds of people to prevent the spread of the infection. The new group of survivors don't realize this until they reach New Orleans, where they had been hoping to find safety.
* In VideoGame/TheWalkingDead, Kenny expects the government and national guard to take care of the zombies within a matter of days. He quickly realizes that is not going to happen.

* ''Film/ResidentEvil''. The group is trapped in a room by the zombies.
-->'''Spence''': So we wait. If someone doesn't hear from you, they'll send backup or something. Right? What? What's wrong?
-->'''Rain Ocampo''': We don't have much time. You know those blast doors we passed on the way in from the mansion? They seal shut in just under an hour. If we're not out of here by then, we're not getting out.
-->'''Spence''': What are you talking about? They can't just bury us alive down here.
-->'''Rain Ocampo''': Containing the incident is the only fail-safe plan they had against possible contamination.
** The second movie has S.T.A.R.S. member Peyton insisting that the survivors should find the most fortified building possible and hunker down to wait for rescue, but Alice shoots it down by mentioning that what [[EvilInc Umbrella Corporation]] will do in response to the outbreak is to [[NukeEm perform a]] ''[[DeadlyEuphemism total sterilization]]" of the city.

->''"Think Rick! We'll be lost out there. The army is going to drive through here any day now with supplies and shelter and all this will just go away... I don't want to risk being in the country... I don't want to risk being left behind!"''
-->-- '''Shane''' (to Rick), ''Comicbook/TheWalkingDead''

* In fiction this trope makes sense; who would want to watch a protagonist sit down and wait for someone else to come bail them out? In real life, this trope is often the best response to being lost, stranded, or otherwise in trouble. After addressing any immediate danger, make yourself noticeable, call for help, and wait. Consult any basic survival manual for more details.

* ''Manga/TheDriftingClassroom'': The deranged Mr. Sekyia, the only remaining adult at this point, eventually usurps control of the school, and refuses to belive that the school has actually been transported into a post-apocalyptic future, insisting that there's just been some mysterious local disaster and soon "the Americans" will arrive and save them all.

* A somewhat downplayed example is the primary source of conflict in the first third of ''Literature/TheDayOfTheTriffids''. There are two notable groups of survivors of the blindness plague; one is trying desperately to keep those blinded alive until some official relief effort arrives, while another has deduced that there's not going to ''be'' one and that they need to get the hell out of London while they still can. [[spoiler: A second, outright deadly plague renders the question academic after a few weeks, but the second group were quite right.]] It also deconstructs AmericaSavesTheDay; those who believe that the Americans will come to their aid like in WW2 end up dead because America has undergone the same apocalypse.

* A somewhat downplayed example is the primary source of conflict in the first third of ''Literature/TheDayOfTheTriffids''. There are two notable groups of survivors of the blindness plague; one is trying desperately to keep those blinded alive until some official relief effort arrives, while another has deduced that there's not going to ''be'' one and that they need to get the hell out of London while they still can. [[spoiler: A second, outright deadly plague renders the question academic after a few weeks, but the second group were quite right.]]