A/N I just got the idea for Rowena to hit someone and decided a kid playing chicken was the way to go. Keep Off The Tracks, a YouTube video with Gordon nearly hitting a girl and 2 boys played a role in inspiring this one.
One day, Rowena was pulling a train and singing when she saw some kids playing by the railway. They were a mixed group, boys and girls.
One girl was unable to get off the track in time and was hit by Rowena. The little diesel took her train to the station and her driver told the stationmaster what had happened. There was bad news.
"Rowena," her driver said, looking shaken. "I've got some bad news. The girl we hit, Eleanor, was taken to the hospital."
"She's in hospital?" Rowena said.
"She was DOA," her driver said. "She died."
Rowena was broken-hearted at the news and began to cry. Wailing sobs came from her and her face was wet with tears. She sniffled, unable to speak, weeping and wailing as hard and loud as ever she could.
Rowena's driver did what he could to comfort her. "Rowena," he said, taking a cloth from his pocket to dry her tears. "I'm quite shaken up, just like you, but I shall do what I can to help you." He gently rubbed her sodden cheeks and softly wiped her eyes. "Whenever you've got to cry in the days ahead, I shall wipe your tears if I'm with you."
Rowena's wails went on, huge water droplets pouring from her eyes. She sniffled again, hard, coughed as she choked on her tears and hiccupped. She gasped and gulped, weeping non-stop as her driver did his best to comfort her.
He said, as he continued to wipe her tears away, "You can rely on me to dry your eyes. I want to give you support and comfort as best I can. You're very upset, as I can feel. I wish I could wipe your unhappiness, so I shall wipe your eyes. Let yourself go, because I'm here for you in your hurt." He held the cloth to her weeping eyes and wiped all her tears away as best he could.
Rowena's tears came, not once stopping until she had no more left to cry. Her driver dried her last tears away, wiping her cheeks and eyes dry of tears, then went back to the cab with the sodden cloth. He refilled her radiator, then, in the cab, pulled out his handkerchief and soaked it with his tears, then drenched a second hanky weeping for Eleanor's family and friends and how much Rowena hurt.
Rowena's driver left her on a siding. Mr. Percival found her there, a soulful look in her black eyes. She began to cry, wailing loudly and said, "Dr-Dry m-my t-tears, m-mister.", like a child would ask a daddy to do that. Her words came out with wailing sobs and sniffles and her face was covered in tears.
Mr. Percival said, "Rowena, I know you're dreadfully upset about Eleanor, so I shall tell people about railway safety. I'm not the best with emotions, but I'm loyal and I care. I just struggle to understand emotions, though I can meet physical and daily needs. I'm also a father, so if you need your tears wiped, I can meet that.", as he pulled out a big handkerchief. He rubbed her cheeks and wiped her eyes.
Rowena cried and wailed more. "I-I h-hurt i-in m-my h-heart," she said. "b-because o-of E-Eleanor.". She was sniffling hard, coughing, choking on her tears and hiccupping. She gasped and gulped, shaking as the tears poured from her eyes, not once stopping and let her controller comfort her.
He said, as he continued to wipe her tears away, "I'm a father, so I shall dry your eyes. It's my duty to help you and that means wiping your eyes, so you don't rust.". He held his hanky to her eyes, letting her sob into it.
Rowena wept and wailed until she had more tears to cry. Mr. Percival dried her last tears away, patting stray tears from her cheeks and dapping the dampness from her eyes until they were dry. He left with his sodden handkerchief. Rowena's driver came back and refilled her radiator. He called Mr. Percival on the telephone and said he was too shaken to work anymore for a while, so he wanted time off. Then, he put Rowena in her shed and got her ready for the night.
Rowena's fitter came to examine her the next morning and he found her broken-hearted.
Rowena began to cry, wailing loudly. "Dr-Dry m-my t-tears," she said to her fitter, sniffling long and loud.
"Cry, Rowena," he said, pulling out a white handkerchief, then gently rubbed her cheeks and softly wiped the tears from her eyes."You've got my care and compassion.". He tuned into her, to pick up on her values and cues, listening attentively.
Rowena cried more, her wailing sobs going on yet. "I-I h-hurt i-in m-my h-heart," she said. She sniffled again, hard, coughed as she choked on her tears and hiccupped. She gasped and gulped, shaking as huge water droplets poured from her eyes, not once stopping as her fitter comforted her.
He said, as he continued to wipe her tears away, "No judgment from me. I'm here for you, not to fix your mood, just to dry your eyes. Let it all out. Your emotion's valid, so just go ahead and cry. You've got me to wipe your eyes.". He pressed the hanky to her eyes and wiped all her tears away as best he could.
Rowena wept non-stop until she had no more tears to shed. Her fitter dried her last tears away, wiping her cheeks and eyes until they were dry, then left with his sodden handkerchief.
After a long weekend off, Rowena's driver returned. The little diesel girl was depressed still, wailing her broken heart out whenever she was awake and not working. Her friends, including her human and engine ones and the Percivals comforted her until she recovered as much as she could.
A/N Mr. Percival's the Skarloey Controller in TRS and is, to my FanFiction buddy, a fatherly type. She said he's an actual father, which may be why she gets that vibe when he speaks to his engines. Rowena's situationally depressed after hitting Eleanor, like grief depression and frequently cries due to that. My FanFiction buddy calls Rowena a Woobie.