Laser Dude

   Many people from all walks of life have worked at our jail. We had one correctional officer who I will call Sully. He had been a radio personality for many years before coming to work at the Sheriff's Department. He definitely had a gift for gab and was a positive influence for many CO's.
   He was also one of those who truly enjoyed making his fellow officers laugh. Often, though, it was because he pulled pranks on them. What goes around, comes around is befitting for this story.

   One day, Sully, officer Jack, and I crossed paths by the elevators on the jail's first floor. We formed a triangle to talk. Officer Jack was offering information on a recent situation that was circulating through the jail grapevine. These types of things always held Sully captive and he would participate with great concern and interest.

   If the subject were funny, he would respond with jovial repartee's . If it were a serious subject, Sully would purse his mouth with the intensity of a WWF wrestler and offer his two cents like it was worth millions. This particular day his lips were ALL wrinkled up in fervent participation.

   As Sully stood there with his coffee cup in hand, I directed the red dot of the laser pen I had attached to my key ring on my hip to the center of his hand holding the coffee. He wasn't paying too much attention to me because he was so involved in this part of the conversation with officer Jack.

   Officer Jack saw me wink and secretly nod in the direction of Sully's coffee cup. Just as Sully was bringing his intense verbal exchange to a crest, officer Jack said to him, "Hey Sully, your hand is on fire!" Sully looked down at the red hot dot of coal in the center of his hand, screamed like a girl, and promptly threw the coffee cup about four feet in the air.

   Officer Jack and I could not stop laughing. Sully's face turned almost the same shade of red as whatever hair he had left on top of his head. From around the corner came about five officers who had heard the scream and were ready to rumble. I can't count the times I heard the words, "Son of a bitch...son of a bitch". As always, he was a good sport about the whole thing.