Final Diagnosis

This article is about the 1997 novel by James White. For the 1959 novel by Arthur Hailey, see The Final Diagnosis.

First edition, published by Tor Books. Cover art by John Berkey.

Final Diagnosis is a 1997 science fiction novel by Northern Irish author James White, part of his Sector General series.

Plot

A man suffering from multiple mysterious illnesses and allergic reactions is labelled a hypochondriac. Finally he is sent to Sector General as a last resort. He befriends his fellow alien patients, telling them his life history. Rather than dismissing his complaints, the attentive hospital doctors develop a theory, and bring him back to his home planet. At the scene of a childhood accident that seems to have started it all, explanations are found.