Pranks

Thomas and Percy, an iconic duo, would go about pulling their pranks. Fun tricks and cheeky mischief would be on their schedule for when they had the days off. To interfere with the safety on the railroad would cost them their jobs so they instead concentrated their pranks in the break room or, if they had the keys, in the employee apartments. This couldn't be better exemplified than when James returned to his flat and heard his name being called.

"James!"

He looked around, seeing nothing but still hearing his name.

"Who's there?"

"I am!" The voice responded. A bit higher pitched and almost nasal — James confirmed that he was bearing Philip.

"Philip? Where are you? How'd you get in here?"

"I'm up here, James!"

And looking up would reveal to the red-loving conductor that Philip was taped to the ceiling. His entire body had been attached via strong tape and his bowl cut hair was frayed from being in contact with the surface.

"Who would attach you to the bloody ceiling?" James brushed his hair back and scowled.

"Thomas and Percy asked if I wanted to surprise you! I guess I did, didn't I?"

Philip gave a grin, playful and innocent enough. He even asked politely for help returning to ground level. But James would have none of that and proceeded to slam the door shut. The force of the door slamming shut caused Philip to come loose and he fell to the floor.

Through the door James could hear a muffled Philip.

"Thanks!"

And James stormed off to find the two culprits who had so brashly taped Philip to the apartment ceiling. He would, searching around Tidmouth sheds, find a rather cross looking Edward who was completely soaked with water. The older man had a towel and was trying to dry off but his heavy wool uniform was just saturated.

"What happened to you, Edward?"

"Thomas. And probably Percy. They messed with the sink and now I'm absolutely soaked. I think they meant it for Henry but instead I caught it."

"They taped Philip to my ceiling," James said. He got an interesting look. "They taped him there and he only came loose when I slammed the door."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that you tried anything other than slamming the door shut?"

"So I didn't try anything else. Philip still came loose." But the look he was getting from Edward made James duck out of the way. "I'm just going to continue looking for Thomas and Percy."

"Someone needs to make sure Philip didn't break anything."

"What could possibly break! You can't break a carpet."

"I didn't mean the carpet, I meant his bones, James."

But James had hurried away by that point. He was set on finding the two pranksters and he did find them. They were both making sure the locomotive they had worked with was all done for the day, tidying up and looking for any damage. They had been working on the number one engine and someone had stained the side of it with handprints, which Percy was trying to wipe away.

"You two!" James said, pointing at them. Percy emitted a shriek and threw a coal stained glove at him. The glove, fitted for the left hand, was missing two fingers and it landed atop James' head.

"Oh, it's just you, James. I thought you were a monster or Toby."

Thomas snickered. "Toby is a monster, Percy. I thought you knew that."

"I don't care what you know!" James cut in. "You two taped Philip to my ceiling. How… how long was he taped up there?"

Thomas had to think about it. "Percy, when did we go on break?"

"An hour ago? We took a late break."

James wasn't going to have any of that guff and so he threw his arms into the air. "And what if I hadn't come to my apartment? Philip could still be on the ceiling."

"But he's not and that's the important part," Thomas mentioned.

"And besides, we told Sidney about it and to check in on him later tonight." Percy extended a hand to James. "Glove?"

James threw the glove over his shoulder and watched as Percy scrambled down to fetch it.

"You didn't have to throw it, James," Percy scolded.

"You didn't have to tape an intern to my ceiling! How did you even get in my apartment?"

"We used a key," Thomas responded.

"Where'd you get the key?"

"Everyone knows you keep a spare key in the lining of your hat."

James emitted a growl and stormed away. "And if Philip broke anything, you're paying for the damages to my room!"