Emmerdale’s Laurel Potts left devasted after leaving dementia-suffering husband Ashley Thomas in care home in heartbreaking scenes
His family have struggled to cope over the last few months as his condition deteriorates
EMMERDALE's Laurel Potts was left devastated tonight as she said goodbye to her husband Ashley Thomas after settling him into a care home.
Ashley (John Middleton) suffers from vascular dementia and his family have struggled to cope over the last month as his condition deteriorates, leading them to make the difficult choice to put him in a care home.
During this evening's episode, viewers watched as Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy), her dad Doug ( Duncan Preston) and Ashley's daughter Gabby (Rosie Bentham) settle him into the home.
Despite the fact that Ashley appeared to be comfortable in the home, it didn't make the process any less difficult for Laurel.
As she watched him chatting to his fellow residents, Gabby said: "Maybe we shouldn't do a big goodbye."
Grace, the woman managing the care home, told them: "Whatever you think's best."
Laurel couldn't help snap, nerves frayed: "Well I wouldn't know because I've never done this before! Sorry, sorry."
Grace mistook Gabby for her daughter, remarking: "Your daughter's a wise girl."
Laurel glanced over to Ashley pouring the tea for a fellow resident, commenting: "That's my husband, helping people. It's what he does. Looking at him like this, you'd never know would you?"
Holding back the tears, she left with Gabby - but not without giving one last look over her shoulder.
Later she came back and her dad suggested that they go out for dinner - but she quickly dismissed the idea: "No, I'm going to have a bath and an early night. The sooner today is over..."
When she was at home and had a bath, she had a heart-to-heart with Gabby on the sofa, who told her that she was "the best thing that had ever happened" to her dad.
She added: "He's so lucky and I'm - I'm so horrible sometimes."
Laurel interrupted: "Hey, where's all this coming from? We have words, it passes."
Gabby said: "I love you, so much."
She then asked whether Laurel wanted her to go and live back with her mum now that her dad was in a care home.
But Laurel said an emphatic no: "Well your home's here. When Grace said today that your daughter's right, well you are - my daughter."
Later Laurel went upstairs and lay on her bed and cried herself to sleep.
More heartbreak is in store for the family after it was revealed that John Middleton is set to film his final scenes on the soap.
The show had already extended his stay after even they couldn’t bring themselves to say goodbye to him – and now he is due to die in the spring, meaning he is weeks away from filming his final scenes.
- Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV at 7pm
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