Riddle me this: such gruesome people!

[Kd7sov]

So about a week ago I took 1d2 slashing damage to my hand, which naturally had to be stitched and bandaged. This bandage being fairly obvious, I've gotten quite a few questions about it.

Here's what annoys me: the sequence always goes like this.

"Whoa, what happened to your hand?"
"Did you need stitches?"
"How many?"

Why do they care how many? It's not like it's even a way to tell how serious the damage was, since no two doctors will stitch the same way.

[Fan]

IT does seem rather strange that people would ask you about a simple palm slash, and as to why they would care about stiches is beyond me, perhaps if you had more than 20, they would think you hand was REALLY muffed up, and they revel in your greivences?

[Rawhide]

So, uhm, just how many stitches did you get?

Sorry, but you can't tell half a story like that!

[thubby]

not exactly the same, no, but its as good a marker as any. combine with natural human curiosity.
injuries requiring stitches to the hand are relatively rare, and often more debilitating than a comparable wound to another area.

[xPANCAKEx]

just do what i did when i got a piece of glass in my hand...

take a photo and put the story on myspace and facebook

[DraPrime]

It's just small talk. It's how people behave

[valadil]

"How many" naturally follows from "I got stitches." I mean, what else do you say in response to that?

[Flickerdart]

He got 1d10 stitches. Duh.

[burninnapalm]

lol, i mean it is the same situation as seeing a guy drop a knife in to his foot and asking him if he is ok, of course he isnt ok, but that is the response that first comes to mind when we hear that.

[Bor the Barbarian Monk]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, before there was "ROFL," there was...

Hmmm...Can't think of anything amusing that rhymes with "Star Wars."

Anyway, I was biking home after midnight back when I was 18, and this woman attempted to get her Volvo into my left leg. The only initial damage that was assessed was a hairline fracture in my fibula, the small bone of the lower leg. The one and only treatment prescribed for this injury at the time was to crutch-walk.

For weeks, all I ever heard was, "What happened?" It became so tiring that I started giving entertaining answers.

"I was skydiving out my basement window and my 'chute didn't open."
"It'll be more entertaining if you wait for the movie."
And the ever-popular, "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

But my old high school friend, Kevin, had the most amusing response to seeing me on crutches. I'd already been leading a life of klutziness and partial disasters, so when he saw me, he literally fell to the floor and started rolling around, laughing. He eventually stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes, he asked what happened. After telling him I was hit by a car, he said, "Rob, you should definitely write a book, It's a Ziggy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggy_(comic)) Life."

Hindsight being 20/20...Wow, he had precognitive powers. :smallsigh:

[Phase]

I agree that it's due to the human mind's natural curiosity. Like if a piano fall on someone's head, the people around will always ask "Are you okay?"