Redemption (A TTTE Story)

Part II: Unexpected Visitor

Please sur, I truly am sorry...

You are a damn disgrace to not just the Great Northern Railway, but the Stirling class as a whole!

I was only tryin' ta help!

Don't give me that! You had your jobs, and you forced him to do your work!

So...how long am I gonna 'ave ta stay in th' sheds?

Not any more! You've crossed the line! I need to send a message to the others, so you're being scrapped!!

Please! No sur! I'll be a guid engine, I promise!!

You think tears are gonna work!? Guess what: they won't!

I'm begging you! One last chance!!

If engines have an afterlife, I hope you end up in whatever your version of Hell might be. Take her apart, men!

Sur, please!

No!

PLEASE NO!!!!!

Emily awoke with a start, breathing heavily. She quickly looked around. It was the dead of night, but she could make out the flat beds to her left, and a goods train quietly passing by in the distance.

I'm still in Great Waterton...

She was badly shaken. She knew the nightmare well, but hadn't suffered from it in years.

Guess I'm not gettin' anymore sleep tonight...

***

When Molly told the Fat Controller about Emily, he found himself conflicted. On the one hand, it wouldn't hurt to have another engine on the line. After all, Molly would be back in the hands of the Sodor Royal Forces by the end of the week, and having an extra engine running trains was proving useful. But on the other hand, the Railway Executives would almost certainly deny the request. Diesels were far cheaper to purchase, easier to repair, and only needed one operator. He knew that, stubborn as she was, Emily was a hard worker.

"I suppose," he told his wife one evening, "that there may well be a loophole."

"Just be sure not to get yourself into any trouble, dear.", was her response.

***

The Fat Controller looked through the reports.

"Emily's in rough shape," he commented, "but I wouldn't say she's a total loss."

"She'll cost a lot of money to repair," said the worker that had examined Emily, "money that could probably be used to purchase one diesel and loan another."

The Fat Controller hummed a reply. He then noticed something odd in the papers he was examining.

"I see you put down two totals on the repair sheet," the Fat Controller said, "what do they indicate?"

"The top number is an estimate on how much repairs will cost. The bottom one indicates how much Ms. Jones wants to sell Emily for."

The Fat Controller raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure these numbers are correct?"

"Yes sir. I had my assistant triple check everything, and even checked them myself."

There was a pause, as the Fat Controller scribbled down some numbers. He then rechecked the numbers.

"We can definitely afford her overhaul, and it would be worth it in the long run, but I can't figure out why Ms. Jones is asking so much money for a barely operational engine."