In cadaver class, my dissection team included a couple of guys who loved to joke around. They were good for a laugh no matter how bad your day was. For the most part their hijinks were innocent and fun...usually...
Split into our 3 pairs, we stood around the body and across from our partner tasked with dissecting the mirror image of our position. During the first couple of sessions we had no idea what we were doing. We had been handed a dissection kit, a smock, surgical gloves, a text book, and told not to screw it up. CRAP!
We were terrified of our instructor - but somehow, not in a bad way. We all loved her and had a huge amount of respect for her...but feared if we pissed her off the wrath she would bring down upon us. We had seen it before. We had heard her yell. We had seen the controlled, carefully selected words she hurled...they always hit their target and she never said something she didn't mean or something she didn't think would benefit the recipient. She was the best thing for us...and we were scared shitless about it...
Adrenaline pumping...scalpel in hand...instructor’s words echoing in my head...I make an incision and pray I didn't cut too deep... Insecurity still coursing through my body. Using tweezers and probes I keep working to remove the necessary tissue... In my head I hear, don't fuck this up, everyone is counting on you...med school is on the line here...for everyone.... None of us are really sure yet how to take the fact that this is a dead woman, not an animal. I slowly begin shutting out the chatter of the other groups and the music playing in the background.... My mind becomes focused on the body before me... I assure myself that I can do this... and I feel a tap on my arm... I twist my head just slightly and look out of the corner of my eye to see who is trying to get my attention... I see the cadaver's hand moving up and down, tapping my forearm. AHHHHH!!! I jumped three feet and dropped my tools. Words could not escape my panicked lips. The voice in my head was screaming, THE DEAD WOMAN MOVED! THE DEAD WOMAN JUST FUCKING MOVED!! The boys fell to the floor laughing...
Josie, who had been dissecting next to me, though it would be funny to tap me with her hand and had gotten the other 3 guys in on the joke. Funny after the fact, but not cool in the moment. Tell me with a straight face you wouldn't damn near wet your pants if a dead woman started moving...
Posted by Princess Cat at June 27, 2005 11:35 AM @ 11:35 AM in Good Times // Permalink