"Oh my god, SKARLOEY!" Lexi screamed, dropping her bucket containing cleaning rags and polish on the floor. "Rheneas is DEAD! LOOK AT HIS FACE!"
"What- what is it, Lexi?" Skarloey asked in concern as he raced into the Depot, Peter Sam close behind.
"Your brother- he's, he's…" Lexi pointed a trembling finger at Rheneas, whose smokebox door was open so wide his face was now looking towards the back of the sheds.
"He's alright," Soothed Peter Sam, who could see Skarloey was getting ready to shout at Rheneas. "He's not dead, our smokebox doors open so we can get our tubes cleaned that's all. It doesn't harm us."
"RIGHT! Wake up, will you, you bloody geriatric gasket!" Shouted Skarloey, blowing his whistle loudly at his brother.
Rheneas awoke with a start. "Was there any need for that, Skarloey?" He grumbled, but he realized he couldn't see his friends anywhere. That was, until he realized that his face was facing the shed wall, when the rest of him wasn't.
"Oh, for David's sake." He muttered sleepily. "Bloody smokebox door…."
"No, the wasn't any need…" Said Skarloey. "But you're my brother, do you think I'll pass up a chance to wind you up a bit?"
Rheneas grunted. "Well, could someone be so kind as to close this for me? I can't bloody see anyone!"
"Good, means we can't see your face, either." Quipped Skarloey, but Lexi had tentatively ventured forward to close his smokebox door.
"Good, thank you, my dear," he said, smiling gratefully at her. "I'm sorry to have startled you like that. This silly thing has a habit of springing open."
"Oh, so you admit to your face being a silly thing?" Peter Sam smirked cheekily, an eyebrow raised, and he and Skarloey began laughing.
Even Lexi started to chuckle too, seeing the humour in the situation, despite her heartrate still going at what felt like 100 miles an hour.
"Yes, yes, I guess I do, Peter Sam," Rheneas smiled ruefully.
"Gosh, sorry for freaking out like that," Lexi mumbled, embarrassed at making a scene. "I didn't mean to… well, I"-
"It's alright, blodwyn bach," Smiled Skarloey kindly. "Like Peter Sam explained, our smokeboxes open so we can get cleaned out properly."
"I… I never thought of it like that before, Skarloey." Lexi mused thoughtfully before turning back to Rheneas. "I take it yours is faulty?"
"Yes, silly thing!" Huffed Rheneas. "It won't stop opening randomly. It's getting on my nerves."
"Never mind, Rheneas!" Said Peter Sam brightly. "Remember the day I was sick and sneezed so violently I somehow opened my smokebox door?"
"How could I forget?" Asked Rheneas.
"How could any of us?" Added Skarloey, shooting a deadpan look in Peter Sam's direction. "It was Halloween, and you were away to pull the first ghost train special of the night!"
Lexi burst out laughing at this.
"Yeah, I scared the passengers, so I pretended it was an act." Said Peter Sam sheepishly. "Then I did it again and scared poor Rusty whilst chatting at a signal. Needless to say, I was sent for repairs the next day."
"Thank goodness," Said Skarloey. "Sir Handel and I had the other two trains that night," he explained to Lexi, "and we were vigorously checked for any potential mishaps before we left."
"Nothing else happened, but Sir Handel and the others teased me for a week." Said Peter Sam.
"Ah well, at least I know you're not actually dead!" Lexi sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness," Said Skarloey, smiling affectionately at his brother.
