AUTHOR'S NOTICE! PLEASE READ
Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 3 of "A Sacrifice For Those You Love"! This chapter is the original chapter 3 I typed up and I didn't want to get rid of the idea I had. The 'cleaner' version of this story is with the first two chapters of this story in the rated T section.
I hope you enjoy the original chapter and leave nice reviews only, please ^^
Disclaimer: Thomas and Friends belongs to R.W. Awdry and Mattel(They suck XP) while I own Maria and the workmen that were given names
Edward groaned softly as he slowly opens his eyes. His body felt heavier than normal and noticed how he was in a pitch-black abyss. Turning his lamp on, he can see the tracks he is on, but the light only reaches three feet in front of him.
"Hello?" He called out into the darkness, his voice echoing loudly as no other sound is heard.
Moving his eyes around, he could tell that he was alone. Even though his fireman and driver weren't in his cab, he could still control his body. Taking a deep breath, he slowly puffs down the tracks. His wheels and pistons ached like they haven't been moved in days.
"Thomas? Henry? Gordon? Sir Topham Hatt?" Edward called out, still only hearing the echoes of his voice as he puffs further into the darkness.
"He's not looking very good, boss," Kevin said in a worried voice, looking up at Edward.
Edward was hanging a few inches off the ground, groaning at the pain the lift was causing him. A train sized gauze covered the right side of his face, covering the severe burns to protect them from getting infected. The entire right side of his body was either melted or just completely gone. His entire boiler had a deep gash, revealing the inside of him. His damaged wheels, buffers, cab door, and the wheels from his tender box were already sent to the scrapyard to be melted down.
"Edward is in severe pain, Kevin," Victor said sadly as he slowly puffs backwards. "But until the engine specialist arrives, we really can't do much to help him, except to do minor repairs."
"But don't we have anything to help him not feel pain?" Kevin asked in confusion as he follows him.
"Only for minor things," Victor sighed.
"Victor?"
Both Kevin and Victor looked over at the tiny tank engine hanging from the ceiling as well. Thomas' eyes were red from crying, but tears no longer fell.
"H-How is he?" Thomas asked in a quiet voice.
"He is hurting, Thomas," Victor hummed as he slowly puffs over to him. "But he will be alright."
"B-But…w-will he have to be s-scrapped...?" Thomas asked in a worried voice, tears starting to flow again.
"Edward is a strong engine, my friend," Victor reassured him. "It will take a lot more than this for him to be scrapped. Besides, I know Sir Topham Hatt won't toss Edward aside."
"I-I know," Thomas sniffled sadly. "I-I just worry that…"
"All engines feel the same way, Thomas," Victor said softly, puffing towards him a bit more. "Every engine fears the same thing. We just need to think about now and push it to the back of our minds," he hummed in a gentle voice. "Edward would not want you to be fearing about that."
Thomas gave a sad smile. "You're right. Edward would do everything to keep my mind from things like that," he said softly.
"That's right, Thomas," Kevin giggled. "Edward doesn't like it when you worry."
"Yes, you're right," Thomas said quietly, smiling a bit. "He would always tell me to smile, or else I would look like James," he giggled softly.
A familiar whistle blew as Henry slowly puffed into the station, a worried look on his face as he looks at Thomas before looking at the white tarp that was up to keep Edward out of sight. Sir Topham Hatt slowly climbed down from Henry's cab and walked over to Thomas. He also had the same worried look as he looks at his number 1 engine.
"Oh Thomas," S.T.H. said softly. "I am so sorry this happened to you. Are you alright?" He asked in a concerned voice.
"I am Sir," Thomas said quietly, his gaze moving to the ground. "I'm fine, but Edward…" He whimpered as tears started to fall again.
"Don't worry Thomas," Henry said softly as he slowly puffs towards the small tank engine. "Edward is going to be fine," he said, trying to reassure Thomas and himself.
"Henry is right." S.T.H. smiled as he looks at the two engines. "Edward is a strong engine and he will be repaired, good as new," he said as he as walks over to the tarp on the other side of the Steamworks. "How is he, Victor?"
"I'm afraid not too good, Sir," Victor hummed softly, puffing up to him. "We can only do so much to repair him. We're waiting for a specialist to come to help."
S.T.H. sighed as he walked closer to Edward. The tender engine was lifted a few inches off the rails, being held by a crane. He cringed as he looked at the twisted and melted metal on Edward's entire right side. The wheels were laying on the ground, melted together and broken into pieces. Huge portions of Edward's boiler were cut away, giving a view on the inside of how the heat started to melt the inside of it and the firebox. His tender box sat in the corner as the workers tried to repair it. S.T.H. frowned worriedly as he looked at the bandages covering the right side of Edward's face.
"When will the specialist arrive?" S.T.H asked quietly as he gently puts his hand on Edward's deformed running plate.
"Tomorrow, Sir," a workman said as he walks out of a small office. "I just got off the phone with her and her ship should arrive sometime around 8 am."
"I see," S.T.H. hummed softly as he keeps his hand on the running plate. "I'll send Gordon to pick her up and to bring her here," he said softly before looking back up at Edward. 'We'll get you fixed up soon, Edward,' S.T.H. thought sadly. 'Just hang in there.'
Edward sighed as he continued to puff down the tracks through the black abyss. It felt like hours has passed since he started, and his wheels started to ache. He gave up calling names out. The only sound he heard was the echo of his voice. Moving his gaze up from the tracks, he spotted a light in the distance.
"Maybe that's the way out!" Edward said happily as he pumped his pistons faster, gaining speed to reach the light.
Edward smiled happily as he sees the light slowly getting bigger as he puffed closer to it. Panting, Edward smiled as he puffed through the light, closing his eyes in relief. 'Please let this take me back home,' he thought hopefully as he opened his eyes.
Gasping in fear, Edward quickly braked hard, sparks flying off his wheels as he screeched to a stop. Panting hard, he looks around with wide, fearful eyes. His boiler ached as he feels his wheels wobble in fear. He recognized the area easily since Henry's tunnel is behind him and where he came out of, but it wasn't 'Sodor.' The sky glowed in a blood-red color as black clouds floated in the sky. The grass was brown and dead with the trees looking the same. The tracks had splotches of blood and rust as the land was filled with an eerie silence.
Edward gulped quietly as he feels his body become cold despite his firebox burning. Taking deep breaths to calm his breathing, he slowly starts to puff down the tracks with caution. As the K2 engine puffed down the blood-splattered and rusty tracks, he didn't notice the movement as a black mist slowly moved out of Henry's Tunnel. It had glowing red eyes and each movement it made sounded like metal scraping against each other. It stared at Edward with its red eyes, a fanged smile becoming visible in the darkness.
Fog covered the Island of Sodor like an ominous cloud. Gordon sat patiently at Brendam Docks with a single coach coupled up to him. He didn't argue when Sir Topham Hatt asked him to pick up the specialist who would be working on repairing Edward. His fireman and driver stood next to the big engine as they waited for the specialist. Around them, some of the crewmen were busy digging and breaking the tracks and the splattered metal of the smelt that cooled down. Gordon stared at the mess in front of him and felt his pistons shake, seeing bits and pieces of melted and torn metal, some with a familiar blue paint left on them. He clenched his eyes shut as he tries to block out the image and the sounds of the workmen's crew and tools.
"It'll be alright," Gordon's fireman said softly, rubbing his running plate. "We won't be here for much longer."
"I think I see her," Gordon's driver said as all three of them looked at the steps leading up to the ship.
A woman wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, and a white lab coat walked down the steps that were connected to the boat. She has long black hair and sharp green eyes. She walks over to a man with a cart full of bags and pays him before walking over to Gordon's crew. "My name is Maria Maverick. I was summoned to help an engine in a serious manner," she said in a soft tone.
"Welcome to Sodor, Ma'am," Gordon's fireman said as he gently shakes her hand.
"My name is Matt, and this is Nick. We're here to take you to the Steamworks now."
"Thank you," Maria hummed as she walks in front of Gordon, inspecting him. "And what is your name?" She asked with a warm smile.
"Gordon, ma'am," Gordon said softly, a slight smile on his face. Usually, he would be proud and boast about himself but after what happened to Edward, he couldn't bring himself to be like his normal self.
"Strong name for a strong engine," Maria giggled as she rubs her hand on his running plate. "By your built and size, I can see you were built for speed in delivering coaches to their destinations on time."
"You are correct," Gordon smiled, slowly feeling like his normal self from the praising. "I am the fastest engine on the island."
"I am glad to hear that," Maria smiled as she walked towards the coach. "We must make haste so I can work on this injured engine," She hummed as she climbs into the coach after her bags were loaded into it.
"Yes, ma'am," Gordon and his crew said as the two men climbed into Gordon's cab. Blowing his whistle twice, Gordon started to puff slowly before picking up the pace.
Sitting in the coach, Maria opens a file with a copy of Edward's paperwork and blueprints. "So, he's a FR 21/K2 class steam locomotive with the configuration 4-4-0," she hummed to herself as she looked at the file. "He's a tender engine with a 4'8½" gauge," she muttered as she pulls out a pen and his blueprints. "From what they told me, his entire right side is damaged. Boiler completely opened and visible along with the firebox, wheels and coupling rods melted together, face badly burned." She sighed as she leans back in her seat. "This poor engine," she hummed as she looks out of the window. "I have my work cut out for me."
Gordon blew his whistle twice as he slowly puffs into the Steamworks as far as he could. He saw Thomas sitting on the tracks as the workmen inspected him. Thomas smiled as he sees the big blue engine stopping in front of him.
"Hello, Thomas," Gordon smiled as he looked at the small tank engine. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing alright," Thomas hummed softly. "I'm fully repaired and about to get a new coat of paint, but…" He muttered as he sadly glanced at the hanging white tarp.
Gordon looked at the same tarp and felt his boiler fill with dread. He knew that Edward was behind that tarp, hurting and in severe pain. Letting steam out to calm himself, he looks over at Thomas. "Edward will be alright," he said softly. "I brought the specialist and she will help him feel better."
"Hello there," Maria smiled as she walks up to Thomas, the workmen unloading her luggage and bags. "What is your name?"
"T-Thomas, ma'am," Thomas said, a bit startled by her appearance but smiled slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Thomas," Maria smiled as she walks around Thomas, inspecting him. "Hmm…an LB&SCR E2 class tank engine, 0-6-T configuration, and a 4'8½" gauge," she muttered before walking around his front again, smiling. "You are a special tank engine," she giggled.
"T-Thank you, ma'am," Thomas giggled softly, blushing a bit from embarrassment.
"Please, call me Maria," Maria smiled. "None of this ma'am business. Same goes for you, Gordon."
"W-What?" Gordon asked, startled as he broke his gaze from the white tarp.
Maria frowned sadly as she notices the two engines have dreaded looks on their faces. Gently rubbing Gordon's running plate, she walks over to Thomas and does the same thing. "Edward means so much to you two, doesn't he?" She asked softly.
"He does…" Thomas muttered sadly, looking down. "He's…he's my big brother. He taught me everything when I first arrived on Sodor and…" He said before tears started to fall.
"Oh Thomas…" Maria said sadly as she climbs onto his running plate. Pulling out her handkerchief, she gently daps his tears away. "I promise you, young one. I will make Edward feel and look like his old self soon. And then you and he can have more adventures."
"P-promise?" Thomas asked in a small voice.
"I promise," Maria smiled as she walks over to the tarp.
"Everything will be alright, Thomas," Gordon said as he puffs up to him slowly. "You'll see," He said softly before backing up, leaving the Steamworks.
"I hope so…" Thomas said softly as the workmen start to scrape his old paint off.
"So, you run the Steamworks?" Maria asked, walking next to Victor as she studies the saddle/pannier engine. She held Edward's file in her hands and a small tool bag hanging around her shoulder.
"I do, Mrs. Maverick," Victor said softly as he slowly puffs next to her. "I have been after working in the Steamworks when I arrived."
"Very impressive," Maria giggled softly before her face went serious. "So, tell me, exactly what happened to the number 2 engine, please," She hummed softly but also in a serious tone.
"From what Henry, the engine who brought Edward here, said, Edward ran into some metal pipes the dropped on the rails at Brendam Docks. Doing so caused him to tip over and derail Thomas, making himself slide into a huge puddle of smelt," Victor said quietly, looking at her.
"Edward is a very brave engine to put his life in danger to protect another," Maria said quietly, looking over at Thomas as the workmen paint the undercoat on him. "I promise I will do everything to make Edward look like his old self."
"I'm glad to hear that," Victor hummed softly, smiling a bit before frowning. "Just, be aware of the damage he has received," He said as the workmen pulled the tarp aside to let the two in.
"My Lady…" Maria gasped in shocked as she walks in, seeing how Edward's face was scrunched in pain, despite the entire right side of his face being bandaged. She slowly walks along his right side, inspecting the severe damage done to him. "I never imagined he was going to be in this terrible shape," she said softly as she walks closer to his side. Climbing onto his running plate, she walks into the massive gaping hole and stands inside his boiler. "Even the firebox wasn't spared," she muttered as she takes her smartphone out, taking pictures of everything. "It's going to be an extremely long process, but he will be fixed," she said as she steps out of his boiler.
Staying on the running plate, she walks over to his front and stands in front of his face. Putting on sterilized gloves, she pulls out a small scalpel and starts to cut the thick bandages. Pulling them off, she frowns as the ones closer to his face were stained red with some yellow and white marks on it. Taking a deep breath, she pulls the last remaining bandages off and stares as his badly burnt face. One of the workmen covers his mouth as he runs over to a trash can, vomiting while Kevin tipped onto his side as he passed out. The entire right side of Edward's face was badly burnt and some of his flesh melted off. His skin, once grey, was a deep red with black scorch marks on his cheek and brow. The flesh was still radiating a lot of heat as the wound was covered in a sticky, bloody substance as it tries to heal itself. The right side of his lips has melted, easily revealing his teeth. Blisters and abscesses covered the wound as his eyes were clenched shut. The smell of burning flesh easily fills the room.
"Someone change that trash bag," Maria called out as she puts a surgical mask on. "Victor, make sure Thomas is in an area where he can't smell this."
Victor didn't say much as he stares at Edward's face in disgust and horror. He didn't see it when Edward was brought in, and he wished he hadn't. Seeing Edward's body made his boiler ache, but seeing his face made him feel very uncomfortable. His nose burned at the smell of Edward's burning flesh, mixed with the small amount of metal. His pistons froze as he stared at Edward as his body shook in fear.
"Victor!" Maria called out, trying to snap him out of it. She knew she should've told him to stay out because she knew this would happen. "Make sure Thomas can't smell any of this."
Victor blinked as he snaps out of his gaze, shaking a bit as he stares at the floor. "O-Of course," he said as he puffed backwards slowly.
Maria sighed softly as she looked at Edward's face again. "You've gone through so much to face your friend," She said softly as she examines the damage to his face. Pulling out a pair of gloves from her pocket, she puts them on. "I'm sorry about this, Edward," she said softly as she gently puts her hands on his wound. "But I need to do this."
Edward flinched and groaned in pain as his face scrunched up in agony. Maria felt the heat still radiating off the burned flesh as the healing skin looked more like slime. Looking at him sadly, she slowly pries his eyelids apart. His sclera was a deep red with yellow splotches and there appeared to be some of it missing. Over his cornea was a deep slash-like wound and his pupil was a cloudy white/grey in color with a slight blue hue. Reaching a hand into her pocket, she pulls out a flashlight and turns it on. Using one hand to hold the eyelids open, she holds the flashlight to shine it onto his eye. Seeing the reaction, she sighs as she gently closes it.
"I'm afraid he won't have vision in this eye anymore," Maria sighed softly as she puts her flashlight away.
"Can't you do anything to help him?" A workman asked worriedly.
"I'm afraid the damage is severe," Maria said softly as she takes her gloves off. "His sclera is burned with parts of it missing and a deep slash in his cornea that damaged his iris permanently," she hummed as she hops off his running plate, walking over to her bag. "I'm probably able to save his eye, but not his vision," she said softly as she opens her bag, pulling out her clipboard. "Also, his body needs to be scrapped."
"Scrapped?!" The workman gasped in shock.
"We can't just scrap him!" A workman yelled angrily.
"I didn't say all of him," Maria deadpanned. "I'm talking about his boiler, firebox, funnel, and cab," she hummed softly. "Just putting metal to cover the damaged area will do more harm than good since the heat will be against both new and old metal. The firebox will create more heat on the side with the newer metal since it'll be new."
"But…what about his face?" Kevin asked softly as he was still on his side, looking away from Edward's face after regaining consciousness.
"We'll move it to an enclosed and sterilized area so I can treat the wound easier while the workmen assemble his new body," Maria hummed as she writes notes. "I'm going to need these items if you can kindly get them for me, please," she hummed as she hands one of the workmen a piece of paper and a wad of money. "That should cover all of it."
"W-Where can I even get this stuff?" A workman asked nervously as he takes the list and money.
"There's a shop on the Mainland that has medical stuff for engines. I would've already gotten the stuff if I had known he was in this bad of shape," Maria said softly as she looked at Edward. She hummed in thought before looking at the workman. "Take the fastest engine you can to that place. I want to start working on him tonight when Thomas isn't here," She said firmly.
Edward looked around worriedly as he slowly puffs down the blood and rust-covered tracks. The trees were still black while the ground, sky, sun, and clouds were various shades of red. His boiler ached as the dreadful silence of the land was disturbed by the sounds of his pistons.
"S-Someone has to be here," Edward said nervously to himself as he continued to puff down the tracks.
Looking around, he notices a station that was slowly coming into view. He smiles as he recognizes Knapford Station, besides its crumbling building. But what really made him smile was the familiar shape of Gordon standing proudly in the station.
"Gordon!" Edward said excitedly as he puffs faster towards the huge tender engine. "I am so glad to see you! What happened to Sodor? And what happened to every-." He gasped before forcing himself to break hard.
Coming to a complete stop, he felt his boiler run cold as his body shook in fear. The once brilliant blue livery of Gordon was now faded with rust spots covering him. His wheels are completely rusted with the brilliant yellow 4 completely missing. But what really startled him was the front of Gordon. His face was completely missing with his boiler badly pried open as the front end had exploded. Edward gulped weakly as he notices the blood and parts of Gordon's face stuck to the pieces of metal that were still connected to his boiler. Tears prick Edward's eyes as he starts to hyperventilate. The tears streamed down his face as he swiftly puffs down the tracks, wanting to get away from the destroyed engine.
"Anyone?! Help!" Edward cried out as he continues to race down the tracks of the demented island.
Back at the abandoned station, the sound of clinking metal was heard along with a screech of moving metal. Liquid metal slowly dripped onto the destroyed Gordon, slowly moving him sideways and off the tracks.
A day had passed since Maria arrived on Sodor to help repair Edward. She stood in front of the comatose engine, taking a sip of her hot tea as she studies his face. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the emotions of fear and panic expressed themselves. His lips were moving slightly as a tear starts to slide down his left cheek.
"You poor thing…" Maria said softly, looking up at him sadly. Putting her tea on a box, she gently climbs onto his running plate and gently wipes his tear away with her sleeve. "I will get you fixed. I promise," she hummed softly, gently rubbing his cheek.
"They arrived, Doctor," a workman said softly as he walks up to her.
"Thank you. And call me Maria," Maria hummed as she walks outside.
Slowly backing two flatbeds into the Steamworks, Connor has a concerned and worried look on his face. "I hurried over here once the bridge was open," he said worriedly. "And I heard what happened. Is he…"
"He's alive," Maria hummed softly, looking up at the Streamlined engine. "And thank you for bringing this here so soon," she said, looking up at the teal and grey streamliner.
"Of course. Edward has always been so kind to Caitlin and me, and when we heard about his accident, we…" Connor muttered quietly, feeling sick to his boiler.
"He'll be alright," Maria said softly, gently putting a hand on his coupling rod. "The things you've brought over will help him heal," she reassured him. "Now then, relax and think about your jobs today," she hummed softly as she walks towards the flatbeds.
"Y-Yes ma'am," Connor said softly as he blows his horn slightly, slowly puffing out of the Steamworks.
"Alright, everyone!" Maria called out as she walks over to the tarp-covered area. "The people who are within this tarp will not be leaving!" She said loudly. "Once we start working on Edward, no one, and I mean NO ONE is to enter this area. The entire enclosure has already been sanitized and I do not want the fumes and any other outside things to enter this place until I say so. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am!" The workmen said loudly.
"Victor, I need you to bring the biggest flatbed over here. We're going to need it," Maria hummed softly as she put surgical gloves and mask on.
"I'll get right on it, ma'am," Victor said as he puffs backwards.
"It's Maria…" Maria groaned as she walls into the tarped area.
The workmen that were helping her were wearing lab jackets, blue surgical gloves, and surgical masks as they were starting to slowly take Edward's gauges and levers out of his cab. In the back corner, a huge sterilized tarp laid on the ground with some monitors and huge bags of IV hanging off hooks.
"So…how are we going to do this?" A workman asked as he watched pull out cushion padding.
"We're going to move Edward's face on the tarp I placed on the floor so I can work on him while you guys work on taking his boiler, cab, and everything else on his running plate," Maria hummed as she hangs the padding off of the crane's hook.
"You mean…completely take him apart?!" Another workman gasped in shock, his skin going pale.
"Correct," Maria hummed as she walks over to her bag. "Adding a new sheet of metal to close that hole will cause a lot of problems," She hummed as she pulls out a syringe with a 5-inch-long needle that was a tiny bit thicker than normal needles. "The inside of his boiler hasn't been replaced in years, so it's already used to the heat. Adding a new sheet of metal will cause the piece to heat up faster and would just cause him nothing but pain for years." She said as she fills the syringe with a clear liquid. "Imagine having back pain and no matter what you do, you still feel pain," she hummed as she walked over Edward, climbing onto his running plate. "Now then, I will need three strong workmen next to me while two others remove the bolts that hold his face in place," she says as she slides the needle of the syringe into his cheek at an angle, injecting the liquid into him.
"But…wouldn't that hurt him?" Aden, one of the workmen, asked in concern.
"Not with the numbing sedative I just injected into him," Maria hummed as she jumps off from his running plate. "This sedative is strong enough to knock a human out for a month and a half," she hummed, tossing the syringe away. She grabbed a box and walked over to the crane's hook. Opening up the box, she pulls out a huge padded face mask with straps attached to it. "Alright, this is where it's going to be a bit tricky. When all of the bolts are completely removed, I'm going to need half of you in front of his face and some of you in his boiler behind his face. His face is going to tilt forward and we have to hold him up while those in the back put the straps together so we can move him to the tarp on the floor. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am!" The workmen said as they all got into their assigned places.
Maria hummed softly as she puts the front of the mask over Edward's face. 'We'll get you fixed up soon,' she thought as she watched as two of the workmen slowly removed the bolts that attached his face to his boiler.
Maria knew that the workmen here aren't used to doing this, looking at how pale some of them were getting. But it was essential for them to do this to save Edward's life. She watched how a tiny bit of blood started to trickle out of the holes as she and the workmen gently pressed their hands against the engine's face, making sure it tilted forward a bit.
"Hurry with the straps, now!" Maria yelled as the workmen standing in the engine's boiler swiftly started to attach the straps together.
The workmen were amazed to see how Edward's face was attached to a circular metal "dish" that held his main organs. Once they made sure the straps were put firmly together, the crane started to move towards the tarp. Edward groaned as the straps pressed against his bandages as he was gently laid on his "back." Maria quickly put an engine sized oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, turning the machine on. The workmen watched how she attached two wires with suction like cups on his left cheek and forehead, the heart monitor turning on revealing his heartbeat.
"Alright…I'll start working on cleaning his wounds, you lot start tearing his body apart and start on his new body," Maria hummed as she tightens her face mask, taking the face mask off him. "And send someone to take…his body to the scrap yard…" She muttered, feeling sick for saying it in that manner.
"R-Right…" Aden said quietly before running off to call Sir Topham Hatt.
"Alright, Edward," Maria said softly as she puts on a clean pair of surgical gloves. "Time to start healing you," she hummed as she gently takes the bandages off.
She frowned sadly as she looked at his red, slightly yellow and slightly black skin caused by the liquid smelt. The smell of burning and decaying flesh easily starting to fill the room. Grabbing a scalpel, she starts to cut the dead skin off of him. The burning was slick and sticky from trying to heal itself, causing it to be a slight problem. Using clamps and tweezers, she pulls the cut skin away and puts the pieces in a bucket. Some areas started to bleed again as she quickly cleans the blood away.
Sir Topham Hatt sighed as he sits in his office, holding a small metal train that was painted blue with a yellow 2 on it. "Oh, Edward…I am so sorry this happened to you…" He sighed as he gently puts the train on a map of Sodor.
Since that tragic day a few days ago, everyone and every engine heard about what happened to Edward. Parts of Brendam Docks were still closed off while repairs were being made to the tracks. Henry and Thomas have been too scared to even go to the docks, making him send other engines to do their jobs. For once, he wasn't annoyed at them for being like this since they witnessed the entire thing happen in front of them. That and Edward meant so much to the two engines that he is willing to make them stop working if they start to have mental breakdowns. When Thomas came out of the Steamworks, he only had him do small jobs before sending him back to his sheds.
He jumped a bit when his phone rang and quickly grabs it. "Hello?" He asked, clearing his throat a bit. "An engine? What for?" He asked in concern. After a few minutes, his skin pales as his eyes widen. "I-I see…" He hummed softly, dread overcoming him along with sickness. "Y-Yes, I'll send one over when you're ready," he said as he hangs up. He remained silent as he covers his face with his hands, his body shaking as he tries not to cry.
Edward panted hard as he sped down the tracks of this apocalyptic hell he was in. The deeper he traveled through Sodor, the more horrific scenes befell him. Seeing his friends derailed, their boilers exploded, and their faces completely gone. The bloodstains that soaked them and the ground itself. The multiple skeletons that were scattered everywhere, some he accidentally destroyed from running over them.
He quickly put his breaks on, sparks flying off as he skidded down the tracks before stopping. He stood there, petrified to see the body of his little brother, Thomas, laying on his side, half of his body melted as it laid in the now cold liquid smelt. He screamed in pain as the right side of his body and face started to hurt like it was on fire. Panting in pain, he swiftly starts to puff backwards, wanting to get away from the gruesome sight. Tears stung his eyes as he just wanted to be out of this hellish place. He wanted to be home with his friends, his family, just with everyone. Puffing onto a siding with dead trees surrounding it, tears slid down his cheeks as he cries.
"Why am I here…?" Edward cried to himself, his voice echoing in the silent air. "Why was I brought here?!" He screamed in fear and anger. "WHY?!" He screamed, his voice echoing loudly. Not hearing a response, he clenches his eyes shut as he breaks down crying. "Please…I just want to go home…"
Unknown to him, a dark being stood in a distance, watching him. Its long, metal tentacles moving about as scraping metal is heard. Soon, Thomas' destroyed body was dragged closer to the mysterious dark figure. Blood dripped down its body as it absorbed the small tank engine.
The workmen, Victor, and Kevin watched with heavy hearts as another crane slowly placed Edward's scrapped body onto the two flatbeds. It was disturbing to see an engine with half of its boiler gone and a hole where his face should've been. The sound of creaking metal was haunting as part of his damaged body collapsed onto itself. The cab was separated from the destroyed firebox and boiler, the metal warped and melted, just giving off a haunting feeling.
"I feel sick…" Kevin said quietly as he stares at it. "I never felt like this when we turned Gordon into a streamlined engine."
"That was because we didn't remove everything, my friend," Victor said softly, trying to reassure the small crane. "Why don't you go busy yourself somewhere else in the Steamworks."
"R-Right, boss," Kevin said quietly as he quickly drives away from the scene.
A familiar whistle blew as he sees BoCo slowly wheeling into the Steamworks. His face became paler as he sees the mangled and deformed scrap metal that was his friend's body. Gulping silently, he slowly moves onto the turntable to be spun around. "I've…came for the s-scrap…" He said quietly, feeling dreadful for even saying that.
"You're all set," Aden said softly as he walks over to him. "That…is everything that needed to be removed," he hummed quietly as he watched the diesel back up to the flatbeds.
Once the flatbeds were coupled up to BoCo, he blew his whistle slightly before moving down the tracks. He felt sick. He felt like he was taking his friend to the scrapyard completely. He shivered as he tried not to look backwards. Just seeing Edward's destroyed body was like a nightmare, one that he and everyone on Sodor were in. The sky was grey as the smell of rain increased. What a day to be doing this. As he moved down the tracks, he watched how his lover, Duck, was moving on the opposite track, puffing towards him. He, Duck, and Edward have become great friends over the years and he knew how hard this was going to be.
As Duck puffed down the tracks, he noticed BoCo getting closer as he blew his whistle, smiling a bit. However, as BoCo was about to pass him, he slammed his breaks down, hard. Screeching to a halt, the coaches he was pulling bumped into each other as his eyes widened in fear and horror as he saw Edward's destroyed body on the flatbeds. The passengers stuck their heads out to complain but stopped when they saw the scrap metal. Everyone remained silent as BoCo moved passed them, speeding up a bit. He didn't want another engine to see Edward's body in this shape, especially Thomas, Henry, or Gordon.
The heart monitor beeped loudly as Maria continued to fix Edward's face. Blood covered her lab coat as she used a clamp to keep Edward's damaged eyes fully opened. The whites of his eyes were yellow with his veins visible while his iris and purple were a dull grey/very pale blue. Pulling another syringe out, she puts it in a to pull in a clear liquid. Putting the bottle down, she leans over Edward's face and slowly slides the needle straight down into Edward's damaged eye. The needle slid easily past his sclera, through his cornea, through his anterior chamber, and into his pupil. She injected half of the liquid into his lenses before pulling the needle out slightly. Then she did the same in the anterior chamber and lastly the cornea. Pulling the needle out completely, she throws it in the trash and gently removes the clamp.
"We'll get you fixed up in no time," Maria said softly, gently petting his left cheek. She hummed softly as she looks behind her, watching the workmen start on fixing his body. "Once they're done, we'll put you back together so you can work on being a really useful engine again. And to be back to those who love and cherish you."
Maria hummed softly as she brings out a tub of silver cream. Squeezing some of the silver paste onto her hand she gently applies it to the burned, yet clean, wounds. Edward hissed in pain and groaned as the paste started to clean the wound. Looking at him sadly, Marina continues to apply the cream, making sure every inch of damaged skin was covered in it.