The Steamworks was the same as always, even though there was some noise made by the workmen, the noise was familiar and welcome. What was more welcoming was Victor greeting them.
"Good morning my friends. I take it that you're all here to visit Henry?"
"Indeed we are." replied Thomas.
"Henry?" "Over here Percy." They saw their fellow engine repaired but a bandage still covered up his eyes. Despite of what happened, Henry smiled a little. Something so small was a heavenly sign of that their friend wasn't in pain.
"So… who's been taking the Flying Kipper while I was gone?"
"James and I have been taking the Flying Kipper alternately," tritely replied Gordon. "How did you crash in the forest, old square wheels?"
"You haven't been whistling too much while I was away? It's not wrong but we just don't do it." This particular memory made all but Gordon laugh at the latter's undignified moment.
"Great to see that you've retained your sense of humour." Gordon said sarcastically but he was still true to his word. "But seriously, how exactly did you crash? You got yourself into a coma for goodness sake."
"I'm not really sure, there was track in the forest that was never there before. Next thing I knew, I was speeding down said track and everything went dark." Henry answered with uncertainty.
"How are the repairs coming along Victor?" asked Emily. They knew that Henry was well when they saw the Steamworks engine's easy smile.
"We just need to see his eyes and that's all, we'll slowly remove the bandage and see how they've healed up. I can't say that they've healed completely but they should be alright. We will have to take the bandage off to check his eyesight. That is, once the optometrist arrives. She should be here soon."
The engines later chatted about the current news around the island, helping Henry to catch up on what he had missed during the past month. Including the time when James whining for how long the line to the wash down was and how he was trapped in said line and couldn't move out or cut in front just a few days ago. That was the only piece of gossip that Henry couldn't help but snicker to James' 'demise'.
Sir Topham Hatt arrived, along with a woman carrying a briefcase. "Henry, Ms Well is here to check your eyesight. After this, you may return to your shed and start work tomorrow." "Thank you, sir." Henry was more than pleased to head back to working again. Being a useful engine was a motto that really stuck to any engine… with a few exceptions.
The stout gentleman turned to the other engines. "The rest of you may now return to your jobs."
They all said their goodbyes before they departed the Steamworks.
"I understand that this is such an odd request-" "Oh, I don't mind. There's been weirder cases. After all, the truth is stranger than fiction." Ms Well walked closer to Henry who heard her footsteps, the concrete floor contrasting against her heels.
"I'm Lizzie Well and I'll be checking your eyes, if that's okay." she gently spoke to the engine.
"I don't really mind Ms Well. It'll be good to get this bandage off." softly replied Henry.
The workmen loosened the cloth, Henry no longer felt the pressure of the bandage against his eyelids.
"Could you please try to open your eyes? There's no need to rush."
He opened them in a quick flash, perhaps too quick because they were shut in one second and in a hurry.
"Are you alright?" "Just a little bright."
On the second attempt, Henry slowly lifted the darkness and adjusted to the brightness in the Steamworks. Soon, he had no trouble keeping his eyes open. He saw Ms Well, a middle-aged woman who had her dark brown hair in a bun.
"So, how's your sight? Can you see anything?"
"I can see just fine."
"Any blurriness?"
"No, I can actually see very clearly."
Henry saw Ms Well taking down notes, he swore that he heard her murmur 'strange' under her breath.
The latter gave more tests to check Henry's eyesight.
"I have to say, your eyes have healed far better than I had predicted," she confirmed. "However, I'm no expert on engines. You only have a scar across your right eye which may become permanent as it gets exposed into the sunlight but overall, you passed with flying colours."
Ms Well smiled contently and Henry did the same. As she walked out, Victor had a pleased look on his face.
"The repairs have been completed a week ago. Good as new my friend." "Thank you Victor."
The green engine took slow movements, it took a while to get used to moving since he had not spun his wheels since the accident but he was eventually able to leave and chuff back to Tidmouth Sheds.
Henry was more than relieved that he only escaped with a scar that was hard to notice. But what did she mean that his eye healed better than she thought? The no.3 only ignored it.
The Stanier engine passed through Knapford, where Thomas was pulling Annie and Clarabel and the three were waiting for their passengers. He stopped on a track next to them.
"Henry! Can you see alright? You've had those bandages on your eyes for a month." said the blue tank engine.
"Ms Well said that my eyesight is perfectly clear, surprisingly." answered Henry.
"Well, it's good to have you back Henry." greeted Annie.
"Although," spoke Clarabel, "You do have a little line down across your eye." she reminded Henry of his scar, his expression turned from cheerful to embarrassed.
Thomas squinted his eyes to see said scar. "Oh. That's a really pale scar. I couldn't see it straight away." "Ms Well said it could be permanent but there's a chance that it will fade away." added Henry.
Thomas smiled again. "It's good to see you Henry but I have to go now." Once the conductor blew his whistle, Henry watched the three leave the platform.
For the rest of the day, any time that engines questioned his scar, Henry had to explain. He got tired of it rather quickly.
Night soon came, all of the engines were in their respectful berths.
Henry was more than ready for a peaceful night's sleep, it was just plain bad luck that he didn't. No matter how quiet the sheds were, Henry couldn't find sleep.
' I swear if I don't get any sleep, I going to go insane.' 'Why bother sleeping then?' 'Would you look at that? I'm hearing voices.' 'About that, it's not you.'
The first thing Henry saw when he opened his eyes was another engine in front of him. He was transparent and his wheels weren't touching the tracks. An engine was floating, no, a ghost engine.
Henry's first instinct to react was very much likely and no exaggeration involved, to scream loud enough for the entire island to hear. Fortunately for him, the 'ghost' immediately hushed him as soon as he saw horror in the tender engine's eyes.
"Shhhh! Don't you dare do the scream here. And yes, I'm a ghost. Any questions?" After a rather awkward pause between the two, Henry finally came out of his dumbfounded state and whispered back. "A real ghost? You're not going to hurt me, warn me or anything like that?" "I might be a real ghost but I'm an engine like you. The only difference is that I'm dead, not that I don't have standards. Kinda like an engine version of Boo Radley."
"Then… who are you?"
"Who am I?" the hovering engine phrased the question like a statement. "I'm your ghost guide and one hell of a handsome tender engine. No offence."
Henry's fear was replaced with sceptical sarcasm. This 'ghost' didn't tick any boxes of the behaviour of an engine phantom on Henry's list. But then again, he's never seen a real one before so he decided not to be too biased. It was when Henry saw the starry night sky turning into dawn and the others began to wake from their slumber.
"Well, you better be off your way then, Mr. Ghost Engine. I have an important job to do today."
"Please, no formality here. Name's Jekyll. Your friends won't see or hear me so don't get your coupling rods in a twist. Besides, I need to explain a bunch of stuff to you, now you can see me and all, et cetera, et cetera."
As the others woke up, it seems that irony was on Jekyll's side. Not one of them took any notice to Henry's new smug ghost acquaintance. Henry had no choice but to soldier through a day with this ghost. It couldn't be that bad, could it?