He's going through a bad/difficult/rough 'patch' [='spell'] right now.
The chair's original paint is still visible 'in patches'. [=in spots]
The doctor 'patched' him 'up', so he's going to be as good as new.
(..) These rare creatures are usually very shy but they drop their guard when the Gelados are around. You might expect that grazers would avoid each other's patch but this is a special alliance from which both partners benefit. It's not so risky to put your head down if others are on the lookout. (..)2006 TvShow: Planet Earth Title: Mountains Season: 1 Episode 2