883: Pain Rating

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Pain Rating
If it were a two or above I wouldn't be able to answer because it would mean a pause in the screaming.
Title text: If it were a two or above I wouldn't be able to answer because it would mean a pause in the screaming.

Explanation

In medical examinations, a doctor will sometimes ask the patient to assess their pain, to give the doctor a rough idea of the patient's condition. In the comic, Cueball is asked to compare the pain in his arm with the worst pain that he can imagine; the thought of that pain reduces him to a huddled ball.

The title text further emphasizes that idea: if the pain was higher than a 1 on his pain scale, it would already be so high that he would be reduced to uncontrollable screaming.

Transcript

[Ponytail is carrying a clipboard and consulting with Cueball, who's sitting on a high medical table.]
Ponytail: Any pain?
Cueball: My arm really hurts.
[Megan is standing behind Ponytail, as the panel widens.]
Ponytail: How would you rate the pain, from one to ten, where ten is the worst pain you can imagine?
[The patient sits on the table.]
Patient: The worst pain I can imagine?
[Cueball ponders this, raising a thoughtful hand to his jaw.]
[Cueball appears to be shocked.]
[Cueball is huddled up on the table.]
Cueball: One.
Ponytail: ... What the hell is wrong with his imagination?
Megan: It's not a normal place.


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Discussion

So, is hell like a 6 or something? Davidy22[talk] 00:36, 11 January 2013 (UTC)

Perhaps somewhere around 62/3..? 178.99.81.144 19:19, 30 April 2013 (UTC)
Maybe 7, (66/6)? ~Fuzion 162.158.214.222 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
400 Karmas for you!! 108.162.219.58 19:26, 5 February 2014 (UTC)

Someone has been playing *way* too much Mortal Combat... - DustFox162.158.50.41 08:08, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

Heads are detached from the body in some panels. 108.162.227.11 05:42, 25 February 2024 (UTC)