Fergus' Choice

One evening, after a long and busy day of working at the Sodor Cement Works, Fergus was being parked in his shed for the night.

"Boy, my wheels sure are aching from a day's work." said Fergus as he was being reversed. "But if it means being a Really Useful Engine, I'd say it's worth it. Besides, Really Useful Engines don't argue."

After Fergus was parked in his shed, his driver clocked out and went over to Fergus to say good-night.

"Alright, Fergus, I'll see you tomorrow." he said. "Good night."

"Good night, Louie." Fergus yawned. "See you in the morning."

After driver and engine finished bidding good-night, Fergus' driver left for home. But that night, a violent wind storm swept through the island. Strong winds blew ferociously in all directions. Fergus could hear everything from outside.

"Fizzling fireboxes." he gasped. "That's one heck of a storm. It's a good thing I've got this shed to keep me safe."

Or so Fergus thought. All of a sudden, he heard a strange creaking noise, which caused him to feel uneasy.

"I don't like the sound of that." he worried.

And then there was trouble. The shed then began swaying from side to side from the wind. This caused Fergus to feel even more uneasy.

"And I don't like the looks of that, either!" he cried.

At that moment, it happened. One of the support beams on the shed gave way and the entire structure fell on top of Fergus, who shut his eyes. Poor Fergus was helpless as his shed collapsed all around him. He was soon buried underneath a pile of fallen roof tiles and broken wooden beams. One of the roof's support beams had even fallen on top of him. Fergus could not believe his eyes when he surveyed the damage around him. It turned out his shed wasn't the only thing damaged by the storm. Other parts of the Cement Works were also damaged, but compared to Fergus' shed, the other damage was relatively minimal while the shed, obviously, was completely destroyed.

"Bust my buffers." he gasped. "What a mess! And my poor shed, too! Well, at least I'm okay, relatively speaking."

But then, Fergus felt a sharp pain coming from the area where his flywheel was housed.

"Then again, maybe not." he winced.

The next morning, when Fergus' driver came to get his engine started up, he noticed the state of Fergus' shed.

"Oh my gosh!" he cried. "Fergus, are you okay?"

"I don't know." Fergus replied.

"Don't worry, I'll call for help." said his driver.

Soon, Sir Topham Hatt arrived onboard Harvey the crane engine, who in turn brought the breakdown train to help clear away the mess. After the remains of Fergus' former shed were pushed away from Fergus, Sir Topham Hatt spoke to Fergus.

"Are you alright, Fergus?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, sir." said Fergus. "I think my flywheel's been damaged."

"Oh, dear." said Sir Topham Hatt.

Sir Topham Hatt then turned to Harvey.

"Harvey, take Fergus to the Steamworks." he said.

"Yes, sir." chuffed Harvey.

Soon, Fergus was loaded onto a well wagon and on his way to the Sodor Steamworks, where the workmen inspected Fergus, who had been placed on the hoist. Victor soon came over to get some answers.

"What have we got, boys?" he asked.

"Bad news, chief." one of the workmen replied. "There's a really big crack in his flywheel from when that heavy beam fell on him, and it's damaged beyond repair. We're going to need a new one."

"I see." said Victor.

Victor then looked at Fergus.

"How are you feeling, Fergus?" he asked.

"Very sore." replied Fergus. "And a little sad."

"Don't worry, Fergus, my friend." Victor reassured with a friendly smile. "We'll have you fixed soon."

"I really hope so." sighed Fergus.

Just then, Sir Topham Hatt arrived in Winston, and went over to Victor and Fergus.

"What's the situation, Victor?" he asked.

Victor told Sir Topham Hatt the state of Fergus' flywheel.

"Oh, dear." said Sir Topham Hatt. "This will not do at all."

"So, I guess this means I'll be out of action for a while?" asked Fergus.

"I'm afraid so, Fergus." said Sir Topham Hatt. "But don't worry, I'll see if there's an engine available to cover for you."

"Okay." said Fergus.

And with that, Sir Topham Hatt boarded Winston and left. Since Victor and his team were unable to do anything about Fergus' condition at the present moment, they opted to keep him on the hoist, so they moved him higher so they would have more room for any other engines that came into the Steamworks that day. Fergus felt depressed, and there was a thought racing around his mind like the Road Runner.

"Maybe all this is some kind of sign." said Fergus. "A sign that maybe I shouldn't be in regular service anymore."

Just then, Fergus had an idea.

"Next time I see Sir Topham Hatt, I'll tell him about this and see what he thinks." he said.

The next morning, Victor came to check on Fergus.

"How are you feeling today, Fergus?" he asked.

"I'm okay, I guess." said Fergus. "My flywheel still hurts, though."

"Then you'll be pleased to hear that we're currently in the process of forging a brand-new flywheel just for you." smiled Victor. "You should be back to being a Really Useful Engine in no time."

"Yeah, about that." Fergus replied. "Can you have one of your men call Sir Topham Hatt and ask him to come here? I want to speak with him about something."

Victor was surprised at Fergus' request. Still, he agreed, and he had one of the workmen call Sir Topham Hatt. Meanwhile, Sir Topham Hatt was having breakfast with Lady Hatt and his mother, Dowager Hatt, when his butler, Joel, came in.

"Excuse me, sir." said Joel. "You're wanted on the telephone."

"Bother that telephone." grumbled Sir Topham Hatt.

Sir Topham Hatt excused himself from the table and went over to the phone. Dowager Hatt, needless to say, was pretty annoyed at this.

"I did not come to my son's house for breakfast only to have it be interrupted by a phone call." she said to her daughter-in-law.

Lady Hatt just listened as she sipped her tea. It wasn't long before Sir Topham Hatt returned, and he took his hat off the top of the coat rack.

"I'm sorry to leave so soon, but one of my engines requests my presence." he said. "I won't be long."

After giving his wife and his mother each a kiss on the cheek, Sir Topham Hatt donned his hat and walked out the door. Dowager Hatt was quick to notice her son's plate still had food on it.

"And he didn't even finish his breakfast first." she sighed.

Meanwhile, Sir Topham Hatt arrived at the Steamworks in Winston, and he went over to Fergus, who had been lowered to the ground so he could speak with Sir Topham Hatt.

"So, Fergus, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Sir Topham Hatt.

"Well, Sir, I've been thinking, and I've come to accept what happened the other night as a sign that maybe it's time I was taken out of regular service." Fergus explained.

"Oh. I see." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Well, if that's what you want, you have my support."

"Thank you, sir." said Fergus. "But I'm not exactly final with my decision just yet."

"I understand." nodded Sir Topham Hatt. "Well, I'll check back in on you later, Fergus."

"Okay." said Fergus.

And with that, Sir Topham Hatt left. Later that afternoon, Victor came over to Fergus.

"I have some good news for you, Fergus." he said. "Your new flywheel is almost ready. We just need to give it a final polish and it will be ready to install."

"Really?" asked Fergus. "Boy, you guys sure do your jobs well."

"One always tries his best." winked Victor.

Hearing this made Fergus start to reconsider what he had told Sir Topham Hatt earlier.

"Maybe being pulled out of regular service might not be necessary after all." he said to himself.

Just then, Sir Topham Hatt returned. This time, he was onboard Samson, who was making a delivery of paint, tools, and other parts and materials to the Steamworks. Sir Topham Hatt went over to Fergus, who was now off the hoist completely and back on the rails.

"I called the Earl and asked if you would like to come work for him on his estate." he said. "After all, an engine like you would make a fine tourist attraction for Ulfstead Castle."

"Yeah, about that." said Fergus. "I've had a reconsideration, and I've decided that maybe I was a bit too hasty when I told you earlier about wanting to be taken out of regular service. Plus, I've realized that if I retired from regular service, the Cement Works won't be the same without me working there. I am the Pride of the Cement Works after all."

"I couldn't agree more." said Sir Topham Hatt. "In addition, Miss Jenny and her team are currently building you a new shed as we speak, and it wouldn't be fair to them to have their work wasted like this."

"You're absolutely right, sir." agreed Fergus. "So, with all that being said, I think I might like to stay in regular service. I just hope the Earl won't be too disappointed to have missed such a grand opportunity."

"I'm sure he'll understand, Fergus." said Sir Topham Hatt.

Just then, Victor came over with a flatbed that had Fergus' new flywheel on it.

"Here it is." he said. "One brand-new flywheel made especially for you, Fergus. Are you ready for it to be installed?"

"Yes, I am." grinned Fergus as Sir Topham Hatt left.

"Excellent." smiled Victor. "Alright, boys, let's get to it!"

And so, the workmen finally began Fergus' long-overdue repair process. Soon, Fergus' new flywheel was installed and spinning smoothly like a top. Fergus was soon up to steam and ready to return to the Cement Works. After thanking Victor for his help, Fergus set off for his rightful home.

"Sodor Cement Works, here I come!" he puffed proudly.

Soon, Fergus arrived at the Cement Works, where he met up with Edward, who turned out to be the engine Sir Topham Hatt had asked to cover for Fergus. Fergus could also see Jack, Alfie, and the rest of the Sodor Construction Company team hard at work building a new shed for Fergus. This time, to ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of what caused Fergus' absence in the first place, the new shed was being built with bricks.

"Hello there, Fergus." said Edward. "How do you feel?"

"I feel great." Fergus replied with a big smile. "I feel like a brand-new engine."

"That's good to hear." said Edward. "So, are you ready to be a Really Useful Engine again?"

"I sure am." said Fergus.

And so, Fergus and Edward worked hard in the Cement Works all day while the Pack continued working on the shed. Soon, the shed was complete just as Edward and Fergus finished their work, and as Edward left to return to Tidmouth Sheds, Fergus' driver parked him in his new shed, bid him good-bye, and left for home. As night fell, Fergus looked at the inside of his new shed.

"Home sweet home." he smiled. "And boy, my new flywheel works perfectly! I'll have to tell Victor tomorrow!"

But then, Fergus yawned.

"For now, I should probably prepare for my trip to Morningtown." he said.

And as Fergus fell asleep that night, he felt happy to be back where he truly belonged as Pride of the Sodor Cement Works.

THE END