Diamond in the Rough

One bonus to an overnight stay in hospital is the morphine, which makes him sleep and buzz like it's one of the best trips of his life. He rips off the identity bracelet and sits up on the edge of the bed, wincing as he pulls on a clean t-shirt. He's dying for a cigarette and a beer. He rolls up the fabric gown and rubs his aching jaw. Fiona had called him earlier and said she had taken the day off work to pick him up. If he was lucky he would get a beer. But knowing Fiona, she would flat out refuse it.
It's just a case of waiting until his prescription is processed at the pharmacy and his paper's are signed, then he's free to go. He sits back down and waits for Fiona.

"Your t-shirt is inside out" Fiona says with a smirk."I picked up your medicine so we can just go"

Jem nods because he is finding it painful to smile and talk. The nurse had said the fracture would heal naturally and would probably take one or two months, but his diet had to be mostly liquids, which suited him just fine.

He stands up and slowly pulls off his t-shirt, giving Fiona a good look at his sculpted, but bruised abdomen.
She feels a little warmth stinging her cheeks. He looks at her, his eyes shinning that look he gave her when they were in bed.

"How's the pain?" She asks, watching him pull back on his t-shirt the right way.

"I'm good" he says, mumbling. He looks down at his t-shirt and notices the trail of dribble that had escaped. from his mouth. The nurse had warned him about it.

Fiona laughs and grabs a piece of tissue paper from the dispenser. Gently she wipes his chin and it's his turn to blush. When he speaks his mouth is crooked and she can't wait to see that gorgeous smile again.

"Come on,Coughlin. Let's get you home."

"Great" he says sarcastically and grabs some tissue paper to wipe up any drool.

He takes her hand as they walk down the hospital corridors, she wraps an arm around his waist and tucks her hand into his back pocket,giving his ass a hard squeeze.

"You'll regret that" he says and gives her a sexy wink.

She watches Jem out of the corner of her eye as he pops a few pills from the blister pack into the palm of his hand. He swallows them dry and she can't help but feel her own mouth water. She remembers her grandmother crunching aspirin as a child which made her gag at the memory.

"Where to?" She asks as she turns into Somme street.

"The Tap"

"I don't think so" Fiona asserts herself "you've been on morphine and just taken some painkillers. You can't mix them with alcohol"

"One beer won't kill me" he says and wipes his chin.

"That's besides the point. Do you know what that stuff can do to your liver and kidney's if you abuse it? It can make them fail, Jem. Fail as in death"

Jem rolls his eyes and knows she is only concerned, but she's starting to sound like Doug. Nagging at him about what he should and shouldn't do with his body.

"You sound like Doug"

"Good. Maybe between us you will live until you see fifty" she replies.

Jem sighs heavily and realises he's not going to get what he wants. He's never told no and on the odd occasion when he's told no, he gets violent.

"Anywhere but home" he says finally."I don't wanna see Kris"

Fiona can understand why he doesn't want to see his sister. She's overbearing,a pain in the ass.

"Drop me off at Finns" he says, referring to the cheapest motel in town.

"A motel?" She queries."Why don't you stay at mine until you feel like seeing Krista?"

"You'd do that?"

"I don't see why not." She shrugs."You can give me a hand empty all my boxes"

"Like fuck I will" he sniggers and leans over to kiss her on the lips."Thanks"