One morning, she walked into his room with a calm expression and said,
“I need to take your temperature.”
Right on cue, he started complaining again—about the timing, the inconvenience, the whole situation. After several minutes of grumbling, he finally crossed his arms, opened his mouth, and said, “Fine. Let’s just get it over with.”
The nurse shook her head.
“No, sorry. I can’t use an oral thermometer for this reading.”
That triggered a whole new round of complaints.
Eventually, with an exaggerated sigh, he rolled over and reluctantly complied.
The nurse proceeded, then paused and said with a slight smile,
“I need to get something. You stay JUST LIKE THAT until I get back.”
And just like that, she walked out… leaving the door wide open.
Minutes passed.
Then more minutes.
Visitors walked by. Staff passed through the hallway. A few people glanced in… did a double take… and tried not to laugh.
The attorney’s face turned bright red. He wanted to move—but she had been very clear: don’t move.
Twenty minutes later, the doctor walked in, stopped, and blinked.
“What on earth is going on here?” he asked.
The attorney snapped, humiliated and furious,
“Doesn’t your hospital have any respect for patients?! I’ve been lying here like this forever!”
The doctor tried to keep a straight face.
“Well… I can see why you’re upset,” he said. “But I have to ask…”
He paused, then added:
“Did it ever occur to you… that thermometers don’t have tails on them? 😄
The hallway burst into laughter, and from that day on, the “big-shot” attorney suddenly became the most polite patient in the entire hospital.