Coronation Street Spoilers – Paul turns to Abi in assisted dying plea

Next week on Coronation Street, Paul turns to Abi for help with his assisted dying plan; will she put herself at risk to help her friend?

Todd (Gareth Pierce) was shocked last week to learn that Paul (Peter Ash) is still considering assisted dying as an option, as his health continues to decline following his diagnosis of motor neurone disease.

Paul had confided his plans to Todd early on in his MND struggle, but Todd had believed that he’d since changed his mind, having not mentioned it for some time.

Friday’s episode saw Paul’s PA, Moses, running late as Paul waited at the flat desperate for the toilet. Unable to wait any longer, Paul attempted to manoeuvre himself out of his chair to make his own way to the bathroom, only to collapse on the floor in a heap.

Paul was mortified when husband Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) arrived to find him sprawled on the floor in a puddle of urine, and even more so when Billy later told the Bishop that he wished to take indefinite leave so he could be there for Paul 24/7.

It was that evening that saw Paul confide in Todd once again. Not wishing for Billy to act as his carer, Paul explained that it was a turning point, and now was the time to start putting his plan into action.

“Slowly, steadily, everything’s being taken away,” an emotional Paul told Todd. “I need to get my ducks in a row, for when the time comes. It won’t be long now.”

Next week, Paul asks Todd if he would be the one to assist him in ending his life when the time eventually comes. Paul understands when Todd refuses, knowing it’s a big ask, but explains that he’s terrified of becoming trapped in his own body to the point where he wouldn’t be able to take such action himself.

In the hope of acquiring some morphine-based medication for future use, Paul asks Todd to take him to see Dr Gaddas and exaggerates the amount of pain he is suffering with. But Dr Gaddas isn’t able to justify prescribing anything that couldn’t be bought over the counter of any pharmacy. Whilst Paul is frustrated, Todd is relieved.

As the two later talk in the Rovers, Abi can’t help but overhear how Paul has been refused a prescription for morphine, and empathises with him.

Seeing Abi’s reaction gives Paul an idea, and he later invites her over to the flat, much to Todd’s confusion.

Paul’s motives soon become clear though when he asks Abi whether, as an ex-addict, she would be able to acquire some drugs from any of her contacts that he could use to end his life.

Meanwhile, over at the garage, recent employee Cassie (Claire Sweeney) is grateful for being given another chance following the Porsche incident.

Cassie had managed to scratch the car, when she took it from the garage without the owner’s permission to take Roy (David Neilson) into the Peak District. On seeing the scratch, Cassie had carefully lined up Abi’s tool cart next to it, and even suggested to Kevin that perhaps Abi had been drunk at the time.

Kevin praises Abi as being the one who had shown forgiveness towards Cassie, and explains that his wife will always do the right thing for others, regardless of her own feelings. Kevin’s words strike a chord with Abi following her conversation with Paul, and she soon tells Kevin and Cassie that she’s been called out following a breakdown. A suspicious Cassie watches Abi leave with interest.

Abi then goes to meet with her old supplier Dean (Anthony Crank), who was last seen selling to Cassie back in September, and buys some benzodiazepines off him. But little does she realise that someone nearby is photographing the exchange…

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Meanwhile, Evelyn’s (Maureen Lipman) feud with dodgy dog owner Terry (Jamie Foster) continues, as she scours the net determined to prove that he is running an illegal puppy farm.

When she later spots Terry again in the precinct, coming out of the Pound Outlet with a stack load of puppy food, Evelyn turns back into stealth mode and tails him.

However, her cunning disguise isn’t enough to fool Terry, who corners her after realising she’s been following him, and Evelyn is forced to back off after he threatens her with violence.

Later, Evelyn and Cassie find a puppy for sale online, and are sure that Terry is the unseen person holding it. Roy makes a call to the number provided to enquire about the puppy, and the woman who answers, Joan (Tina Gray), provides an address in the precinct for viewing.

When Cassie later visits the flat claiming to have a delivery of dog food, the lady directs her to Terry’s address nearby.

Cassie decides to check out Terry’s place, and lets herself in through a downstairs window. Creeping upstairs, she finds a room with a crate full of puppies, as well as a large stash of cash.

“Cassie wants to please her mum,” Claire Sweeney explains. “She also knows Terry’s a danger to them all and to the puppies. She just wants to do the right thing. But she doesn’t always go about things in the right way. And it always goes a bit wrong for her.”

“So she breaks into the house to rescue the puppies with great intention,” Claire continues. “But he returns and she finds herself in a potentially dangerous situation if he finds her.

“But then she sees the money and knows it is from illegally breeding the puppies and she decides that she could use that money to treat her family, to help her family, she’s got to make a decision very, very quickly.”

Terry very nearly catches Cassie as he enters the room with a baseball bat, but is then distracted by a noise outside. Seizing the opportunity, Cassie stuffs the cash in her pockets and gathers up the puppies. But as she is about to make her escape, Terry returns and immediately claps eyes on the open cages… will Cassie be able to make her getaway?

Craig (Colson Smith) later drops into the cafe and informs Roy and Evelyn that Terry has been seriously assaulted. With Evelyn seen arguing with Terry outside his home shortly before the attack, Craig would like to talk to Evelyn down at the station.

As Evelyn is led outside to Craig’s police car, a guilty Cassie watches on.

“Now this is a tough one,” Claire explains. “She knows Evelyn hasn’t done it and convinces herself that she won’t go down as no one can prove Evelyn was involved.  Personally, I would have to stand up and say it was me. I would have to do that. I couldn’t stand back and watch someone I love take the blame. I’d like to think that maybe if it gets to the stage of Evelyn being charged Cassie would step forward and confess.“

Despite the heavy subject matter, the scenes were something of a highlight for Claire, who suffered for her art whilst filming with the puppies.

“They were absolutely adorable,” Claire reveals. “It was fantastic working so closely with the RSPCA who were there to make sure the puppies were well cared for at all times.

“Those dogs were so looked after and pampered during that shoot.. Although I was dosed up with antihistamines. I am really allergic to dogs but I was determined to give them a cuddle, who gets to go to work and play with adorable puppies, I wasn’t missing out on that, allergy or no allergy!“