He faced his fears and went to see Marlon after the latter suffered a stroke.
There were heartwarming scenes in tonight’s Emmerdale (31st March), as Paddy Dingle (Dominic Brunt) finally paid best mate Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) another visit in hospital.
Ever since Marlon suffered a sudden stroke last week, Paddy has struggled to cope with seeing him so fragile and unlike himself. His unease left Marlon’s partner Rhona Goskirk (Zoë Henry) frustrated by his lack of support as she continued to exhaust herself in the aftermath.
Eventually, Paddy pledged to be there for them both, and as Rhona spoke to Marlon about her taking a break while other friends and family popped by, she later encouraged Paddy to be himself, rather than the awkward version he had reverted to.
Paddy eventually surprised the other man by wandering into his hospital room, but initially filled the silence with small talk. Then, still cringing over his part in the Dingle family’s video – which was intended to boost Marlon’s spirits – Paddy compared his odd message to a scene from a well-known movie.
Read more:
- Emmerdale’s Zoë Henry: Rhona feels helpless after Marlon’s stroke
- Emmerdale star reveals long road ahead for Marlon
Even after everything he had been through, Marlon still knew how to shut his rambling friend up with a knowing look. Paddy responded by saying that he’d never known a friend to have a stroke before, and “I literally don’t know how to behave.”
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By the time Paddy returned from getting some drinks, Marlon directed him to a hand-written note he’d prompted nurse Gail (Elizabeth Boag) to write on his behalf: “I’ve never had a stroke before. I don’t know how to behave either.”
It wasn’t long before Paddy made a heartfelt declaration, as he told Marlon he was “the best person I’ve ever known,” and that they were all going to get through this difficult time together.This broke the ice and led Paddy to stop hesitating, as he apologised for being weird. “Always,” Marlon uttered, and Paddy laughed as Marlon began to tease him further. The brilliant double act between Charnock and Brunt was as compelling as ever, with the moving scenes proving to be an uplifting watch.
By the time Gail returned to check on the pair, Paddy was reading aloud from a book titled ‘Offensive Poems’. With that, it was time to send Paddy on his way – but now that he has spent more time with Marlon, let’s hope he can be a strong support and help him on the road to recovery.
Will Marlon be able to come home “soon” as he suggested? Only time will tell.
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