It had been a couple of days since Diesel 10 had attempted to take his own life, and his condition was unknown to the engines who resided at Tidmouth sheds. Thomas was begrudgingly shunting the very trucks that Diesel would normally be shunting. While he didn't mind Paxton pulling Annie and Clarabel, he was still quite salty about the fact that Diesel would be sharing that job.
Thomas was trying to ignore the stinging guilt that was building up inside of him. This was different than the usual guilt he experienced after causing mere confusion and delay. This guilt was painful and heavy, and deep down, he knew he had messed up in a way that may never be reconciled. Instead, he tried to focus on how ticked off he was that Diesel was now pulling his coaches. As he bashed the trucks around rather carelessly, his train of thought was interrupted by Paxton, who came into the yard looking unusually sullen.
"Hello Paxton," Thomas called out, hoping for a conversation to get his mind off things. Paxton, however, just gave him a dirty look in response. Thomas stopped what he was doing and chuffed up to the little green diesel, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?" he inquired.
Paxton slowed to a stop, glaring at Thomas. His lower lip quivered; he looked ready to cry.
"Paxton?" Thomas said quietly.
"Get away from me, Thomas!" Paxton snapped.
Taken aback by this, Thomas stood in stunned silence for a moment, before once again pulling up to the green shunter. "Paxton, what's the matter?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
"My best friend tried to scrap himself, that's what's the matter!" Paxton said, sounding almost hysterical. Before Thomas could respond, Paxton slammed into his buffers with great force, sending him rolling backwards. "Diesel 10 is not a monster! Diesel 10 is my FRIEND! And you hurt him! You hurt my friend!" Paxton shouted, bashing into Thomas' buffers repeatedly.
"OW! Paxton—OW! Stop it, Paxton!" Thomas exclaimed.
Paxton gave Thomas a good thrashing before speeding off, crying hysterically. Thomas was left sore and stunned. He had never seen Paxton angry before, and angry with him no less. Thomas looked down. The guilt that he had been trying to suppress all day had now bubbled up to the surface. He had hurt another engine very badly, not by bashing them with his buffers, but rather, with his words. All those times that Thomas has assumed that Diesel 10 was up to no good, was he really? Thomas now questioned his own judgment. Had he and the other steam engines been wrong about the warship?
At the Dieselworks, Diesel 10 sat in front of his shed, hooked up to all manner of tubes and wires. Part of his side panel had been removed so as to allow access to his inner workings. The massive hole in his forehead had been packed and bandaged tightly.
The Fat Controller was there, sitting atop a stepladder, gently patting the big diesel's face. Topham looked downcast; his hat crumpled on one hand. "Words cannot express how sorry I am," he said glumly.
The only response from the warship was to open his eyes slightly, but it was a response nonetheless. Topham knew that Diesel 10 was in an extremely weakened state, one he may never come out of.
"I've let you down," Topham said sadly. "If I had known that you were being treated this badly perhaps I could have prevented this…" Topham sighed heavily. "I shouldn't have let the fact that this railway is a steam heritage railway cloud my judgment to the point of neglecting and ignoring my diesels. I am as much to blame as any of my steam engines," he said, wringing his hat in his hands.
Momentarily, the Fat Controller looked up, and realized that Diesel 10 was looking back at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Diesel 10, I beg of you, don't give up. I can remedy this, I can make things better for you," the Fat controller pleaded.
Diesel 10 made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a sigh. The Fat Controller continued: "I've already disciplined the engines who were involved in treating you badly. If I find out any others have treated you in the same manner they will also be punished."
Diesel 10 looked at him again, this time with a glimmer in his eyes.
"Provided that you recover from this, I want you to pull the express," the Fat Controller said, patting the warship's cheek softly. "Gordon has been demoted from the role of express engine. I will not have a bully pulling the Wild Nor'wester!"
Topham looked at his watch and hopped down from the stepladder he was sitting on. "I must be going now, I do have a railway to run," he said. Before leaving, he looked back at Diesel 10, he said, "I care about all of my engines. Please, remember that."