ruth fowler (also aitken) is played by caroline paterson from 1994 to 1999. ruth is mark fowler (todd carty)'s second wife and she is far more comfortable with his hiv status than many of his other girlfriends. however their marriage eventually disintegrates due to mark's inability to provide ruth with a child. they split and she strays with mark's cousin, conor flaherty (seán gleeson). her betrayal deeply hurts mark, but it also gives her the chance to be a mother, as she becomes pregnant with conor's child.