Pain Scale Question

A nurse walked into a patient’s room during her shift and pulled up his chart.

Alright, she said, I just need to ask a quick question.

On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your pain?

The patient thought for a moment.

Hmm… probably about a three.

The nurse nodded and wrote it down.

Okay, that’s manageable.

The patient watched her, then added:

Actually… wait.

She paused.

Yeah?

The patient shifted slightly in bed.

Make that a six.

The nurse looked up.

What changed?

The patient shrugged.

Nothing.

She raised an eyebrow.

Then why did it go up?

The patient sighed.

Because now I know you’re gonna write it down… and the doctor’s gonna see it.

The nurse blinked.

The patient gave a small smile.

Figured I should make it look a little more serious.