A/N: I thought that the 'Care' prompt was fitting for Elmyra Gainsborough, the woman who raised Aeris after her real mother passed away. She was a very caring character who I remember as being protective of Aeris. This shows the caring and bond she held with someone she wasn't even related to.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII Characters and Places belong to Square Enix. Martin belongs to me.
Once again, as she did every day for the past 10 days, Elmyra Gainsborough stood on the platform of the Sector Six train station. She stood waiting for her husband, a kind and gentle man who had been drafted into ShinRa's military just a few months ago to fight in the war against Wutai. Light brown hair pulled back into a neat bun, green dress smoothed into perfection, Elmyra awaited patiently for the 10 o'clock train that was supposed to carry her husband home, now that he had been released from duty.
She had gotten the letter two weeks ago telling her that Martin—her husband—was able to finally come home after months of endless fighting and no contact. She had been preparing for his arrival since; buying his favourite foods, cleaning up the house, buying bundles of fake flowers so that the house looked comfortable and inviting to a tired war veteran.
Her hands tightened as she watched the 10 o'clock train pull in, his looking to the door and mouth set in an apprehensive line. The train came to a stop, the guards looked through the train quickly before nodding, and then the doors opened. Elmyra's breath caught in her throat as she watched soldiers walk out with bandages and crutches, green eyes looking around frantically for Martin. The last of the passengers came off then and she sighed, her shoulders dropping in dismay. A guard that had noticed her presence every day walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"He's probably just a bit delayed ma'am. You can come back tomorrow."
Elmyra looked up at him before smiling weakly, nodding. "Yes…"
Yet the next day he wasn't there, nor was he there the day after that. It had been 12 days since the promised return date—16 since the letter had come to her.
Putting on her green dress again (she washed it every night, knowing it was Martin's favourite), Elmyra tied her hair back, made up the bed and walked to the train station once again on the 13th day. Perhaps 13 would be their lucky number.
She walked down the now familiar path to the station, seeing the usual people about doing their daily chores. She was a known face around this part of the slums by now, seeing as she had been coming at the same time every day for the past thirteen days. It felt like just an ordinary day where she'd be waiting for her Martin.
Yet it wasn't ordinary.
Elmyra's eyes widened at the sight she saw on the train station steps, before she broke into a run and dropped beside a collapsed woman with a young girl by her side. The young girl was remarkably calm yet was crying, holding what seemed to be her mother's hand as the woman stared up into the sky. The guards on duty looked unsure of themselves, whether they should help or stay at their posts. Elmyra hesitantly touched the woman's arm then and the woman's sharp green eyes snapped over to her. She could tell that this woman was dying.
"Please…take care of Aeris…"
Elmyra's eyes widened as the little girl—Aeris, her name was Aeris—ran over to her and clung to her arm. The woman on the stair then passed out, and Elmyra knew she was gone.
Pulling her hand back, she turned to look at Aeris who sat there, holding her arm and crying, yet still calm. Elmyra pursed her lips together before she wrapped her arms around her, holding her comfortingly.
She would take care of this girl till the day she died.