Ruby is Aaron’s hero in Emmerdale as she makes a touching pledge

To Aaron Dingle’s (Danny Miller) surprise, Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly) arrived to see him in tonight’s episode of Emmerdale.

Aaron has been in hospital ever since the gorge ordeal earlier this month.

Prior to this, Aaron had been staying in a little cottage with John Sugden(Oliver Farnworth). As far as he was concerned, he was looking forward to his future with John, who he had called the strongest man he’s ever known.

Things got pretty dark when John discovered confirmation that Aaron had slept with Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). He drugged Aaron, and then tried to keep him in the cottage afterwards.

But because Aaron had ended up in the woods on the day he was drugged, he had become the tiniest bit aware that John had been keeping many secrets from him.

As the drugs wore off, Aaron found Mackenzie Boyd’s (Lawrence Robb) phone among his husband’s belongings, allowing him to work out the flashbacks he had experienced that featured him hearing Mack’s voice and staggering through the woods were absolutely true.

After John told Aaron about being responsible for numerous crimes in the village, he threw himself and his partner from a cliff face.

The couple were rushed to hospital, but John came out the other end relatively unscathed. As a result of suffering a bleed on his brain and his other injures being a lot more severe, Aaron was placed in a coma.

Aaron woke up a couple of days ago, and immediately told his loved ones that John was holding Mackenzie hostage. This led to the villagers also learning that John had murdered Nate Robinson last year.

In tonight’s episode, Aaron was still recovering. Ruby arrived just as he angrily threw a carton of apple juice across the room, allowing her to immediately establish he wasn’t coping.

Aaron wasn’t here for Ruby’s comments about people caring and understanding. He was full of self hatred, annoyed at himself that he never listened to Robert and Mackenzie, who knew all along that John was bad news.

Aaron has been left deeply traumatised. His relationship with John was built on lies, so it’s left him questioning whether he can ever trust someone again.

Ruby told Aaron that constantly rebuilding himself after an ordeal makes him incredibly strong. Of course, Aaron didn’t feel particularly strong or brave in that moment, but he was touched by Ruby’s words.

These two characters connected earlier this year, when Aaron learnt that Ruby’s father sexually abused her. Because Aaron was also abused by his biological dad when he was a child, he was able to be there for Ruby as her repressed trauma came to the surface.

As a result of this, Ruby has now found herself in a position to return the gesture.

‘Whenever you need me, I will be there for you, every time’, she said as Aaron’s eyes filled with tears.

While this was going on, Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and Caleb Miligan (William Ash) were confronting John in the woods.

Why is it always the woods?!

Cain was planning on shooting John in his revenge plot, but the game changed when he revealed he had a scheduled email ready to send to the police about Anthony Fox’s murder.

One step ahead as per usual, John told the siblings that if the gun goes off, the email will be sent, but if they send John to the police instead, he will tell them about Ruby killing her father.

It seemed letting John go on the run was the only way to keep their family safe. Just as an argument ensued between Caleb and Cain, John got out of his freshly dug grave and tried to hit Cain with a rock.

He was too slow, but it was this moment that led to the gun going off.

We currently don’t know who has been shot, but just how will Aaron cope if he learns John has hurt another person close to him?