Storylines

Pru's Stroke

On 16 September 1991 Pru Forrest had been feeling unwell. Tom thought it might be flu but Pru had suffered a stroke.

She was taken into hospital but a week later she was back home. Tom wanted to take care of her himself. Tom called in the shop to buy fish, but Betty hadn't got any, so she promised to bring some round after the wholesaler had been.

When she got there Tom couldn't remember anything about the fish. He seemed confused but was adamant that he could cope. Pru wasn't going to end her days in a nursing home.

On 30 September, much to Tom's distress, Pru had a second stroke. By mistake that morning Tom had poured her tea into their best china cups, the ones with the red roses and gold rims. He thought Pru would tell him off but she didn't even notice. She had been going on about the harvest supper and when he turned round she was slumped in her chair. At first he thought she'd nodded off.

Pru was unconscious for two days. Tom refused to leave her. Pru's left side had been affected and she kept worrying at her wedding ring; she thought it was lost because she couldn't feel it on her finger.

On 25 October, Tom finally admitted he had been trying to block what people were trying to tell him - Pru would never return to Keeper's Cottage because he couldn't look after her.