A/N Take the title how you like, but respect it. Rosie Angelina has The Railroad/Railway In the Clouds, which inspired my sentient engine afterlife, as I believe in God and an afterlife, too. However, she has the engines show more religious sense, though I have them want to die if they're broken-hearted, asking the one in charge of The Big Railway In the Sky they've got no will to live, almost like someone praying to die, if they believe in TBRITS. She's had them pray about other things, which I don't do. Though the basis of TTTE was created by someone who believed as her and me, he said they're mechanically minded, so I limit their religious sense to TBRITS.
Thomas, as he slept after he returned home from seeing his youngest sibling die at Eastleigh Works, had a vision of his siblings riding The Big Railway In the Sky. He was always rather skeptical of it before, but now, seeing his siblings riding the golden railway made him believe.
Thomas woke up the next morning and was asked by Sir Topham Hatt and the firelighter if he wanted to work.
The sad tank engine said, "Give me coal and water. I want to be a Really Useful Engine, as I shall find distraction from my sorrow. However, I shall probably cry my eyes out when not busy."
Thomas burst into wailing sobs, bawling his eyes out from losing his siblings. He sniffled all the time, long and loud. His crew had to be notified.
Thomas's fireman arrived and climbed on his engine's buffers. "There, there, Thomas," he said, pulling out a cloth hanky to dry his engine's tears. "You've got me to wipe your pain away." He rubbed his engine's cheeks and wiped his tear-wet eyes, listening attentively, trying to be there for his engine and imagining how he felt.
Thomas wailed his mechanical heart out. I dreadfully miss my siblings being alive, he thought. I can't believe all but one of the best tank engines in the world are gone. He sniffled again, hard, coughed as he choked on his sobs and hiccupped. He gasped and gulped, shaking with huge water droplet pouring from his eyes, not once stopping as his fireman comforted him.
He said, as he continued to wipe the tears away, "Just cry. Don't hold back your tears. You've got the right to let the hurt come out your eyes. Feel how you feel.". He held the hanky to Thomas's eyes for him to sob into and wiped all his tears away as best he could, as he thought of contex and ways to inspire Thomas, possibly.
Thomas's driver came while the fireman was comforting him.
"I've got a soaked hanky now," the fireman said. "Take over, Driver." and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "He's dreadfully upset, so it made me tear up. I just hurt because he's an emotional wreck.
Thomas's driver climbed on his engine's buffer beam and pulled out a cloth to dry his tears. "There, there, Thomas. I wish I could wipe your unhappiness, so I shall wipe your eyes.". He softly dried his engine's tears.
Thomas wept non-stop until he had no more tears left. His driver dried his last tears away, patting any stray drops from his face and dapping tears in his eyes away until they were dry. He went back to the cab with the sodden cloth and Thomas had another drink.
Thomas pulled his first train, but then, afterwards, he began to cry and had to be comforted by his driver, then have a drink. Thomas's fireman had to dap tears away, as his eyes teared up over his engine's broken-hearted state.
The Hatts rode the Express and after they got off, found Thomas with the saddest look on his face. His crew were on break. He burst into wailing sobs and the Hatt had to comfort him, as he sniffled, long and loud.
Lady Hatt climbed on Thomas's buffer beam and pulled out her handkerchief to softly dry his tears. "There, there, Thomas," she said. "You're sad about your siblings. Let it all out. You've me to dry your eyes." Her voice was soft, filled with empathy and compassion, as she gently rubbed his cheeks and wiped his wet eyes.
James came by and said, "Cry-engine! Crying about your siblings again!"
Sir Topham Hatt patted his tank engine's buffers, saying, "You can depend on me, Thomas. I'm not emotional, but I love my steam engines.".
Thomas let out another sob. He sniffled again, hard, coughed as he choked on his tears and hiccupped. He gasped and gulped, shaking with sobs as the tears poured from his eyes, not once stopping, and let the Hatts comfort him.
She said, as she continued to wipe his tears away, "I care about you, Thomas. I wish I could fix what's hurting you, so I shall wipe your eyes.". She pressed her hanky to his eyes and wiped all his tears away as best she could. She eventually turned to her husband and said, "I've got a soaked hanky, so can you lend yours?". After her husband gave his hanky, she put hers in her bag.
Thomas sobbed and sobbed, weeping non-stop until he had no more tears to cry. Lady Hatt dried his last tears away, wiping stray huge water droplets from his cheeks and his eyes until they were dry. Poor Thomas, she thought, looking at her husband's sodden hanky.
Thomas's crew came back, gave him a drink and they went on with the rest of their day.
Thomas wailed himself to sleep at the end of the day, as his driver dried his tears with a cloth.
His fireman said, wiping tears from his own eyes, "It hurts my heart to see you like this, Thomas. I'm very sensitive."
They left when Thomas was asleep.
A/N Thomas has situational depression after seeing his sibling die, so just grief.