Sodor's New Worker (Semi-Hiatus Due to an AO3 rewrite)

Number 15

(If I get Burger King Foot Lettuce jokes I stg I'll go feral-)

  It didn't take too terribly long after Maddy's discharge for her to be ready to work again. Problem was, she was given orders to start light, something she didn't want to do.

"But siiiiir, I can take normal jobs! Pleeeeeeease lemme take trucks..!" she whined.

"No, young lady, you're not in tip-top shape yet. You'll join Thomas in the shunting yards for a while. That's final." STH spoke sternly. He understood where she was coming from. Engine or not, she wanted to be useful. At least she got to work with her friend.

"By the way," he said. "There will be a package delivered to you this evening. It will be laying on your bed if you're not at home."

   She nodded and went off to meet her friend.

"Yoo-hoo, Tommy. You here?" she called out when she arrived at the yards. "If you plan on scaring me, be warned that I will throw hands with you."

  Despite her warning, she felt a truck ram into her backside. Maddy let out a yelp while she heard the little bastard snicker.

"Alright cheese-for-brains, is that how you wanna act?"

"...I'm sorry-"

"No you're fucking not-"

   Maddy shunted the truck right back at him. Thomas was pushed back slightly, as he wasn't prepared for it. At all.

"Oof! I didn't deserve that!"

"The hell you didn't, Tommy."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Never."

   Thomas received no defense from his driver or fireman. He could've sworn he heard them laugh at him.

"Now if you're done being cheeky, I believe we have some trucks to shunt."

"Yeah yeah.."

   The two sorted trucks for about an hour or two in silence before Thomas decided to break it. Just like when they first arrived, Thomas still hated the quiet.

"...Soooo, what's with you and James?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"I really don't, Thomas."

"He was worried sick about you, more than I was!"

   Maddy just rolled her eyes.

"You'd be worried to your axels if you potentially had a death on your buffers, Thomas. He had every right to be as worried as he was."

   Thomas paused. She had a point.

"So..nothing, really?"

"Other than I made a friend, weirdo. Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious!"

"Take your curiosity somewhere else! I don't want it!" she hissed. She loved Thomas dearly, but she didn't like her privacy being invaded.

  All Thomas did was pout.

   After shunting for what felt like forever, it was time for Maddy to go home. Thomas had left her at the yards, assuming she could handle it herself. Thankfully, he was right and had no problem sorting out the cars. She checked her cell, it was 5:43 p.m..

"Hooray, it's home time." Maddy smiled. She pushed the last of the trucks to their spot, and began to head on home.

   As she skated along the tracks, she took the time to look at Sodor's scenery. Open land as far as the eye could see. There was a cow pasture, and a cow mooed at her! It was wonderful, so peaceful and serene. A total change from the facility she had been in for a good chunk of her life. Soon enough she saw Tidmouth sheds. As Maddy came closer, she clicked off her skates, running to the back. There on her bed, like STH said, was a neatly wrapped package waiting for her.

"I wonder what it is.." she murmured to herself, picking up the box. It was rather light, so it couldn't be anything too important, right?

   Maddy carefully opened up the box, and inside was something made of fabric. She pulled it out and unfolded it. It was a brand new, scarlet red hoodie to replace her purple one. So that's why STH asked what her favorite color was.

"Cool.." she whispered.

  She turned it around to see the front, and embroidered on the left breast, was a number.

Number 15.