A/N: Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews everyone! As it's now been 5 years since Blue Mountain Mystery was released, I've released an update! I hope you all enjoy, and feel free to review!
Peter Sam watched sadly as Luke trundled back into the tunnel with Geoffrey and Richard.
"Poor Luke," he sighed to himself. Remembering how Luke didn't seem to recall when he retold him the story of his funnel, he turned to Skarloey and Sir Handel.
"I think Luke's starting to repress his memories." He confided.
Skarloey frowned at the grim news.
"This is worse than I feared," he told the two engines gravely. "With the memory repression combined with a second suicide attempt...We're not able to attenuate Luke's suicidal feelings on our own." He decided at last.
"What do you mean Skarloey?" Peter Sam asked in alarm.
"It means we're going to need a different approach, my friend. We need someone who could help us unravel poor Luke's thoughts and help him be rid of any thoughts of death."
Sir Handel had an idea. "How about getting him a therapist?"
Skarloey was interested by this idea. "Go on, Sir Handel," he said encouragingly.
"Well, we get someone in to talk to him and help him with his depression. My driver's wife had to see one after having her baby two years ago- even though I still can't understand why she had to do so."
"Are babies that traumatising?" Peter Sam asked in surprise. "I never would have thought that babies would cause their mothers to go into therapy.
"Wouldn't put it past the little devils." Sir Handel grunted.
"Well, that just goes to show that humans are complicated creatures that are incapable of any assumed logic about them." Skarloey said dryly. "But now's not the time to discuss the traumas of life giving- we're trying to fight for our friend's life." he said.
"Do you have any idea how ironic that sounded, Skarloey?"
"Oh, shut up, Sir Handel!" Skarloey retorted.
"Right, Skarloey!" Peter Sam replied, snapping to attention like a private obeying his superior. "So do we go ahead with Sir Handel's idea?" He asked curiously.
"Well, if no one else has any suggestions, I guess it's our only option, my friends." He decided at last.
"But how will we get one here?" Peter Sam asked curiously. "It'd be difficult having to get in someone who doesn't actually work here- and we need to keep his or her presence a secret from Mr. Percival."
"We call one, of course! Our drivers and firemen have those weird little calling machines in their pockets. Surely one of them could get a therapist for us!" Sir Handel reminded his friend/adoptive brother, who merely blushed sheepishly in response.
"But it does have to be a good one," added Skarloey. "One who knows what he or she is doing."
Sir Handel raised an eyebrow at this queer point. "Surely all therapists are the same as the other." He said.
"We're engines, Sir Handel- therapists could underestimate or exploit our supposed ignorance." Skarloey pointed out. "I'm not suggesting they're all like that, but we do need to consider who we get for Luke."
This made the blue engine fall silent.
"Can you remember the name of your driver's wife's therapist?" Peter Sam asked carefully, once his embarrassment had died away. Sir Handel replied in the negative.
"Well, that tears it," Sighed Skarloey.
"Don't give up yet, Skarloey!" Peter Sam said brightly. "Mr. Bailey had a friend who suffered from suicidal feelings! Rusty told me about it!"
"I don't remember hearing this." Skarloey frowned.
"Oh- this was when Rheneas fell ill and you had to take him to the sheds." Peter Sam explained. Skarloey gave a quiet look of affirmation on remembering this, and the green engine continued. "So, Rusty told me Mr. Bailey had a school friend- Matthew- who got help after getting into trouble. And he made a recovery…" Peter Sam trailed off on remembering Matthew's tragic end- but he knew it hadn't been the therapist's fault, so he continued, "Perhaps Mr. Bailey could help us find the therapist!"
"Well, it's worth a shot," Grumbled Sir Handel.
"Alright, Peter Sam," Agreed Skarloey. "We'll do it- for Luke's sake."
Peter Sam and Sir Handel both exchanged relieved smiles at finally getting somewhere at helping Luke. But Skarloey was worried at how long finding their friend professional help would take.
