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"And would you like the forceps now, doctor?" It's an innocent-sounding phrase, but that simple question has the power to bring one surgical team I know to tears with laughter, every time it's uttered. Understanding exactly why those words are so funny has proven elusive. Ask though I might, all that is shared is a tale of a tough shift, with a difficult patient, needless delays and a surgeon who'd had enough of everything going wrong — and no compunction about letting everyone in earshot know of his dissatisfaction. There was something about the question, delivered immediately after the tirade was finished, that punctured the tension of the moment, brought some fresh perspective to the problem and left everyone laughing. To understand it further, I'm assured, "You had to be there."
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