It was horrible Tom King (James Chase)’s first day back at work as a vet on Monday’s Emmerdale episode, and one of his first calls was to Butlers Farm.
Tom was suspended from his job when Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) first revealed what had been going on in her marriage – that Tom had been coercive and controlling and had made her life a living hell.
For Rhona (Zoe Henry) and Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick) it was an easy decision to suspend him, particularly after Belle said that he’d killed her dog, Piper.
Neither of them felt comfortable working alongside a man who was capable of the things that Belle described, and they and Paddy (Dominic Brunt) wholeheartedly believed what Belle was saying.
Although they’ve continued to pay him during his suspension, Tom badly wanted to go back to work, mainly to try to restore his image in the village as an upright, blameless citizen. Paddy wasn’t keen at all, but Tom threatened to spill the beans on various things the vet’s practice would rather keep quiet, like the fact that Dingles were hardly ever charged for vet visits. Paddy had no option but to relent.
So when Cain (Jeff Hordley) needed a vet to look at Moira (Natalie J Robb)’s prize bull, he was shocked to see Tom arriving.
Cain was already under huge amounts of stress. With Moira away, he had the farm to run as well as the garage and also had to look after Kyle (Huey Quinn) and Isaac (Bobby Dunsmuir).
Moira is facing brain surgery in the next few days and Cain was also stressed about the prospect of that and the uncertainty about whether Moira would make it through the operation.
So seeing the man who’d abused and almost killed his little sister was the last straw. Tom is scared of Cain, but fronted it out by saying he didn’t have to look at the bull because he had plenty of other calls to make. Cain called him a ‘smug git.’
Tom reminded him that their insurance wouldn’t pay out if he declined medical care for the bull and Cain realised he had no choice but to let Tom do his job.
After he was finished he overheard Sam (James Hooton) and Cain talking about Samson (Sam Hall), who is having a hard time in prison. He couldn’t help himself from having a dig.
‘Is it some rite of passage for Dingle men to do time?’ he said. Cain stepped towards him, which would be a sign to any sensible person that they should perhaps shut up. But Tom kept going, talking about Samson and Noah (Jack Downham) – and Cain’s son Kyle. ‘Must be a bizarre family that considers that kind of thing normal,’ he said. ‘Belle didn’t have a chance.’
At the mention of Belle’s name Cain grabbed Tom and hurled him onto his back in the dirt – where he rightfully belongs.
Not the first day back he was hoping for.
