In my defense, I WAS in fucking shock
Years ago, I had to resusitate a guy on a plane with a doc. It was hard to ventilate him because he was vomming copiously, so we cut a trache with sewing scissors and a outside of a ballpoint pen (biro?). We had to do CPR for 45 min til the plane landed and shocked him back into a rhythm twice. It was the most intense code I've ever been in.
We were awesome, though-the two of us meshed like gears in a clock. We didn't even need to talk; we pumped and counted and blew like a training demo.
Finally we landed, the ambo guys carted him to hospital with the doc and I was left alone in the back of the plane with the flight attendants, (who had been awesome-go NorthWest!)shaking with relief and praying we had done the right thing.His wife had stood at his feet imploring us to save him, sobbing "Please, please, he's all I've got!"

One of the stewards said something not even that amusing to me and I erupted into fucking uncontrollable cackling. I couldn't stop! All the plane could see was the rotund, vom-covered, sweaty nurse laughing like a loon while the poor man was trundled away.

I was so embarrassed. No one would meet my eyes as they de-planed.
(TDub Nunc id vides, nunc ne vides on, Sat 13 Dec 2008, 23:10, 8 replies)

From where I'm sitting
The whole" Saving somebody's life" thing would make up for that in spades. In fact, you're probably in credit at the moment. Go steal something.
(Big D, Sat 13 Dec 2008, 23:42, closed)

People didn't think so
Plus , I have this insane, mad-witch, Dr. Who-like, friends instantly know I'm in the theatre type laugh.

It was bad.
(TDub Nunc id vides, nunc ne vides on, Sun 14 Dec 2008, 21:38, closed)

good god...
you can't write a story like that and not at least tell us what the good gentleman said...
(tuqueboy has been in a medically -induced coma since, Sat 13 Dec 2008, 23:42, closed)

I don't remember!
It was 1992 and I think it was something along the lines of "Oh shit, all the napkins are ruined*." or something like that. I really don't remember. My husband gave me such a chewing-out at my inappropriate behaviour I was terribly ashamed and promptly forgot it.

*Mopped up vomit with the first class' white linen napkins. The man arrested right after they had reclaimed all the dinner trays. I had told the steward "I need something to wipe off his mouth!" since I couldn't get a good seal. The chunks and the slipperiness made the mask slide right off his face.
Handsome steward ran up to first class where they were still eating, whisked the cloths off their laps voop, voop, voop, "thankyewthanksthanksyewverramuch" and ran back with them. One still had a piece of chewed up steak in it.
(TDub Nunc id vides, nunc ne vides on, Sun 14 Dec 2008, 21:28, closed)

ah cmon now
everyone knows emergency medics have the darkest humour in all the hospital, and that medics as a whole usually have some pretty sick humour going on - it's part of the job right? ... you just weren't used to it is all ;) certainly not going to hell for that.

and yes turqueboy's hit it on the head, what happened afterwards?!
(zenmeban thinks the weather could be better, Sun 14 Dec 2008, 3:55, closed)

I second this!
Good story btw
(idle insomniac enjoys listening to Sigur Rós at stupid hours, Sun 14 Dec 2008, 7:26, closed)

Sometimes
you can't help it though. I was involved in an 'incident' at work the other day that was clearly no laughing matter but as I was shaking from the adrenaline, I did keep giggling (MOST inappropriate, lucky I was the hero of the hour or I would be the shithead of the hour if the important people had just remembered me laughing...)
(Clarabelle is reverting to type on, Sun 14 Dec 2008, 16:43, closed)

Fer Christ's sake.
If they couldn't realise that you were behaving like that due to shock then they needed their heads banging together.
( girlinthehole, Mon 15 Dec 2008, 10:00, closed)