Fans were heartbroken when they learned that Jason Thompson has opted not to continue in his role of Patrick Drake after a decade as the character and was leaving General Hospital, but they may need to prepare to say goodbye to him sooner than expected.

Thompson opted not to renew his contract and confirmed himself on Instagram earlier this month that he was in fact leaving the show. However, a tweet by co-star William DeVry (Julian) put fans into a panic earlier this week because it seemed as though the next few weeks would be the last one featuring the show's handsome neurosurgeon.

"Be sure to tune into #GH All This Week & Next. @MyJasonThompson Finale. RT Great Stuff in Store," DeVry wrote Nov. 10.

Naturally fans went into panic mode because that would mean Patrick would be gone much more quickly than expected.

After the fan frenzy though, DeVry later clarified his comments and said that Thompson would still be around a little while longer as he was still shooting scenes with the soap.

"Okay, @MyJasonThompson is still shooting scenes. So I assume he'll be airing for the next few weeks," he wrote.

It is still unclear if the show is planning on recasting Patrick following Thompson's exit. His character leaving would mean that his on-screen daughter Emma (Brooklyn Rae Silzer) would be parentless on the show, as her mother, Robin (Kimberly McCullogh) only comes back for guest appearances roughly once or twice a year. However, if Patrick is recast, then there would still be a place for the young Emma on the show.

General Hospital airs Monday-Friday at 3 p.m. on ABC.

Tags
General hospital, ABC, Soap Operas