Sometimes in a fictional story, a character will pretend to be sick (otherwise known as malingering). Most often, this is to avoid something unpleasant at school or work, such as a test, visit from management, or similar inconvenience. Some just do it to get a day off. This is often accompanied by completely overblown "symptoms", often exaggerated further by the character holding a thermometer up to a light bulb to fake a temperature. See Munchausen Syndrome for the more serious, even pathological version. Compare Obfuscating Disability, Hypochondria. Contrast Working Through the Cold.