A/N: Ask and you shall recieve! By popular demand, here is the next chapter early! But be careful what you wish for, because now we tread into uncharted territory: Season 22! Admittingly, only on a technicality, since the episode supposedly takes place right after the last one, and this chapter is only loosely based on it, but still: You have been warned.

Chapter 214: James's Coma

Based loosely on An Engine of Many Colors

James was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was stabilized. Molly, Emily, Thomas, Edward, and Sir Topham Hatt were all there as the doctor explained his condition over James's prostate form.

"Its...not good. He suffered severe brain damage in the crash, not to mention multiple cuts and lacerations. He's lucky to be alive."

"But...he'll wake up, right?"

The doctor remained silent, trying to choose his next words very carefully. This caused Molly to panic.

"...Right?"

"We'll...we'll do everything we can. But..."

Molly burst into tears, Emily patting her back comfortingly. Sir Topham Hatt stood in silence.

"Thank you, doctor. I need to get going, but you three had better stay here. Molly could really use a friend right now."

Molly sat down in the chair next to James's bed and lay her head down, sobbing as Thomas wrapped a blanket over her.

"Please get better, James. I know you can pull through this."

Mist surrounded James as he opened his eyes. From what little he could see, he appeared to be in some kind of black void.

"Huh? Where am I?"

Confused, James began walking, hoping to find some answers. But no matter how far we walked, his surroundings never changed. Suddenly...

"Disgraceful!"

"Huh? That sounds like Gordon!"

James squinted, but saw nothing. Gordon's voice echoed all around.

"To think, James would do something as reckless as race on the railway! He should be fired!"

James gasped in shock. That couldn't be Gordon. Gordon would never say something like that.

Would he?

"I agree. Who does he think he is? Sir Topham Hatt would have to be a fool to continue to employ him."

Now Henry was there too? What was going on?

James tried to speak up, but found himself without a voice. As the voices grew louder and more numerous, he just curled up into a ball and began to cry.

"Useless! Dangerous! Selfish!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't want this! I never wanted this!"

But try as he might, James couldn't make the voices go away.

It had been 3 weeks now, and James showed no sign of waking up. Molly rarely strayed from his side, only leaving to go to work and eat. She herself was no better, and it showed on her disheveled face. Edward was there with her at the moment, trying to give her some space. But eventually, he found he could remain silent no longer.

"Molly, I can't imagine what you're going through, but you're destroying yourself. Go home and get some rest, please. James wouldn't want you to do this to yourself."

"I know, Edward, but I feel like I owe him this much. When I first got to Sodor, I was so awkward and shy that I felt like I would never fit in. But James stood by me and helped me come out of my shell. if it weren't for him, I probably would've just moved back in with mom after a month. And now his life hangs in the balance, and there's nothing I can do to help him? I figured that the very least I can do is be there for him when he wakes up. I mean, if..."

Molly fell silent, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. Edward nodded, sympathetically putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Go on home, Molly. I'll take over from here. I promise, if anything changes you'll be the first to know."

Conceding Edward's point, Molly grabbed her jacket and made her way to the door. Before she left, she kissed James on the forehead.

"I love you, James. Please wake up, for me."

James rocked back and forth, trying to shut the voices out. He was having no such luck.

"Useless! Dangerous! Selfish! Useless! Dangerous! Selfish!"

"Shut up! Please, for the love of god, shut up!"

They didn't though, only getting louder as James shrunk further in.

"James...please wake up..."

James shot up. This voice was softer and kinder, unlike the others.

"Molly..."

"I love you, James. Please wake up, for me."

A dim light shone in the distance. Rising to his feet, James staggered towards it, trying his best to push the voices out of his mind as he moved closer...closer...

A week had passed, and Molly was looking better. As usual, she was at James's bedside, gently stroking his hand with hers.

"I miss you, James. We've all been trying to keep up with the extra work. Gordon's even been taking goods trains willingly! He says its just to keep the railway running smoothly, but we all know that he misses you as much as the rest of us. I know you'll pull through, James. You've pulled through worse."

As Molly rose to leave, she felt her hand being squeezed. Not wanting to get her hopes up, Molly glanced down...

to meet James's beautiful brown eyes, a weak smile on his face.

"Hey, Molly. What'd I miss?"