Ep 37. Squiditis

SpongeBob SquarePants season 9, episode 37 titled "Squiditis" follows the story of Squidward Tentacles who pretends to have a fake illness called "Squiditis" to avoid working at the Krusty Krab. Squidward's excuse of Squiditis seems to be working until SpongeBob finds out that it's not a real illness and is desperate to help his friend.

SpongeBob tries to find a cure for Squidward's "Squiditis" by going to different stores and buying multiple substances that he believes will heal Squidward. However, Squidward is far too focused on relaxing at home and doing absolutely nothing. SpongeBob tries to convince him to take his "medicine," but all of his suggestions are met with Squidward's stubborn refusal.

Meanwhile, Mr. Krabs starts to notice that the Krusty Krab's profits are declining due to Squidward's sick day. Mr. Krabs then visits Squidward at home and tries to convince him to come back to work. But Squidward is cunning and pretends to pass out, forcing Mr. Krabs to call an ambulance.

The ambulance takes Squidward to the hospital, and SpongeBob joins him. SpongeBob then realizes that if Squidward gets declared "cured," he will have to go back to work. So, he tries to stretch out Squidward's hospital stay for as long as possible by faking his symptoms and pretending to be sick too. However, the hospital staff sees through SpongeBob's ruse and confirms that he is perfectly healthy. But the doctors are still perplexed by Squidward's mysterious "Squiditis" and are unable to identify the cause.

Eventually, SpongeBob and Squidward are discharged from the hospital, but Squidward still refuses to go back to work. So, SpongeBob takes him to a "cure-all" spa to try and relax him. But the spa experience is far from relaxing and turns out to be more chaotic than anything else.

In the end, Squidward realizes that the spa was actually the cure he needed as he's forced back to work when more demanding customers come to the restaurant and Mr. Krabs bans Squidward from taking any more sick days. Overall, "Squiditis" is a hilarious episode that showcases Squidward's laziness and how SpongeBob tries to help his friend despite the odds stacked against him.