A/N I wanted to have this chapter sooner but I'm recovering from my bad writer's block, so I wrote it as soon as I could. Douglas as a baby engine, including when he meets his twin, Donald.
The workers at the factory in Scotland were working on a new engine, Donald's twin. They finished the engine, then gave this one a name.
"Douglas," a worker said after they finished painting the engine.
Douglas blinked his eyes, twitched his nose, opened his mouth and breathed for the first time. The look on his face indicated he was an introvert, present, logical and maybe even charming when he wanted to be. He smiled slightly, then made an expression indicating needing something.
"Time to get you some coal and water, " a workman said. "Another engine shall shunt you to the water column, then the coaling plant.".
Douglas put on an expression showing he approved of getting coal and water. The engine who came to shunt him looked just like him.
"I'm Donald," the other engine said, "You must be Douglas, my twin.".
Douglas was given coal and water. "Douglas," he said, as being in steam for the first time gave him the ability to speak.
Douglas was tested and deemed to fit to work. He worked pulling freight with Donald and his other siblings on the railway, along with the other engines there.
Douglas, though not usually emotional, cried his heart out when his mentor died. "Why are my eyes leaking water?" he asked his driver, as he'd never cried before the older engine who mentored him was scrapped. His face was wet with tears.
Douglas's driver pulled out a soft cloth from his pocket and said, empathy and compassion in his voice, "Douglas, those are tears. It's what happens when we feel very strong emotions.". He listened attentively, trying to understand how Douglas felt as softly dried Douglas's tears, gently rubbing his cheeks and wiping his weeping eyes.
Douglas cried some more, sobbing his grief and "I'm nae much for tears," he said, every word another sob, "but I can do nothing but sob over the scrapping of my mentor." and let his driver offer comfort.
He said, as he continued to wipe the tears away, "I know it's hard, Douglas. Sometimes just letting it out can help. I'm here with you," he said, thinking of ways to comfort Douglas, reassuring him, but trying not to be overbearing with it, patiently listening and supporting Douglas. He offered empathy without being pushy or over-intrusive, just gave attentive and practical comfort, as he pressed the cloth to his engine's wet eyes.
Douglas sobbed and sobbed, his huge water droplet tears pouring until he had no more left to cry. His driver dried his last tears away, wiping his cheeks and eyes until they were dry, then went back to the cab with the sodden. cloth. Douglas had cried in the shed, with only his crew and Donald, who pressed his twin's buffers and now shunted him to the water column. After Douglas got there, his crew gave him a drink and the twins went on with their day.
Time passed and Douglas was done being a baby engine.
A/N Douglas's life in Scotland and his journey to Sodor with his twin are next chapter. I mention Donald meeting Douglas in Donald's backstory, but saved the details for Douglas's story, so there's continuity from that story in this one.