A/N Just Jessica fighting her depression.
Jessica woke up, blue on the inside as her paintwork. "Can you dry my tears, Driver?" she said when her crew came and began to cry. She wailed loudly, huge water droplets pouring from her eyes, so much her face was wet with tears, as she sniffled, long and loud.
Jessica's driver climbed onto her buffer beam. "There, there, Jessica," he said, pulling out a cloth from his pocket to dry her tears. "Just cry into your soft cotton waffle hanky. Let it all out. I wish I could wipe your sadness, so I shall wipe your eyes.". He rubbed her sodden cheeks and wiped her tear-wet eyes, listening attentively and trying to understand how she felt.
One of the meanest engines said, "Jessica, you're the biggest cry-engine I've ever met. If I was an Express engine, I'd never shed a tear, but here you are, bawling your eyes out every time you've got a chance to cry."
Thomas, just in steam, gave her a buffer press.
Jessica cried more, fresh tears filling her eyes. She sniffled again, hard, coughed as she choked on her wailing sobs and hiccupped. She gasped and gulped, shaking as her torrent of tears flowed, not once stopping as her driver offered his comfort.
He said, as he continued to wipe her tears away, "I know you're extremely sad and unhappy. That engine doesn't understand feelings, but I know emotions are part of life, so I'm here for you, to dry your eyes.". He pressed the cloth to her eyes and wiped all her tears away as best he could, providing reassurance, empathy and compassion without being overbearing, pushy or overly intrusive as he patiently listened and supported her in her pain.
Jessica's tears came non-stop until she had no more left to shed. Her driver softly dried her last tears away, gently wiping her cheeks and eyes until they were dry, then went back to the cab with the sodden cloth. Her face was all red and so were her puffy eyes. Her crew gave her a drink after Thomas shunted her to the water column. As she had her drink, her fireman provided some inspiration he thought of.
Jessica pulled her first train and, while on the journey, saw a narrow-gauge diesel crying. She could feel tears in her eyes, but until she was at the last station, they'd stay there. My tears can't fall now, she thought. It breaks my heart to see her cry, even if she's got her driver. She saw the little engine had female characteristics in face.
Jessica came to her journey's end and began to cry. "Can you dry my tears, Driver?" she said, as soon as they stopped at the last station. Then, she burst into wailing sobs, as loud and hard as ever she could. Her face was covered in thick tears.
Jessica's driver said, "Remember what I said earlier today,", as he pulled out a cloth from his pocket. He softly dried her tears, gently rubbing her cheeks and wiping her streaming eyes.
Jessica cried and wailed some more, fresh tears welling in her eyes. She was sniffling hard, coughing, choking on her tears and hiccupping. She gasped and gulped, shaking as she wept non-stop and let her driver do his best to comfort her.
He said, as he continued to wipe her tears away, "Cry it out. I know there's benefit to you being tearful, in being calmer and being able to think better. I've got your cotton waffle hanky, so don't hold back.". He held the cloth to her eyes and wiped all her tears away as best he could, offering his sad engine his form of comfort.
Jessica's tears flowed freely, slowing to a stop only when she could no longer shed another. Her driver dried her last tears away, wiping any stray huge water droplets from her cheeks and her eyes dry of tears, then went back to the cab with the sodden cloth. Her face was red and her sore and swollen eyes were flame-red. Her crew gave her a drink. I can't hold back my tears when not moving, she thought. I'm extremely sad and unhappy all the time, so, because I hurt in my heart, I need to let it fall like rain from my eyes.
Jessica's therapy time came and Dr. Tom came to her shed and asked, "How are you, Jessica?"
"I still feel extremely sad all the time. Maybe I just can't be happy because of when I was a baby engine, like I forgot how to be happy because of my abuse.". She began to cry, bursting into great wailing sobs that went on and on and she sniffled, long and loud.
Dr. Tom said, "Tears are really useful in my therapy. All the sadness falling down your face is from the depths of your heart. I love how you cry so deeply, Jessica, as there's nothing like a good cry to provide relief from pain and hurt."
Jessica's driver was on her buffers. "Feel how you feel, Jessica. Therapy's your time to do whatever you feel like, including a crying spell," he said, as he pulled out a cloth from his pocket to dry her tears. He rubbed her sodden cheeks and wiped her tear-wet eyes. "I love to wipe your eyes and Dr. Tom says the more tears, the better."
Jessica's tears and wails went on, as hard and loud as ever she could, until she had no more tears left. Her driver dried her last tears away, patting any stray ones from her cheeks and dapping tears in her eyes away until they were dry. He went back to the cab with the sodden cloth and the session went on. Jessica and Dr. Tom talked about her inability to feel anything besides unhappy. She had a drink after the session ended and they each went on with their respective days, Dr. Tom parting to do the rest of his day's work and Jessica and her crew went on with the rest of their day as well.
Jessica's day came to an end and in the shed, she asked, "Can you dry my tears, Driver?", then wailed herself to sleep with her driver's comfort and Thomas's buffer press.
A/N In my Thomasverse, engines cry when not moving only, like their eyes have some ways of holding onto the tears until they stop long enough. Jessica, as an empath, could feel what the little diesel female felt.