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

What Was Lost

   Henry knew he had to tell someone, but who, when? He had to remember where he heard them, too. It was dark, though..could he really do it?

"Cinders and ashes.." he puffed. "It's..incredibly unsettling..you know what? No. The Flying Kipper can wait."

"Uh, Henry-" his driver tried to protest, until his fireman smacked his shoulder.

"C'mon, Ronald, Henry loves the little squirt."

"..Fine.."

   He screeched to a halt, and backed up until the screams were as loud as they could get. But where were they coming from? Using his head lamp, Henry looked around the tracks until he noticed a siding cast off from the rest of the line. It looked old, as if it hadn't been used in years. How did he never notice it before?

"What on Earth..?" Henry whispered. "Has this always been here..?"

   Before he could look into it more, he heard wheels on the tracks. He booked it, knowing that usually no one but himself and a select few engines were out this early in the morning..perhaps he'd have to investigate it further. But for now, the Flying Kipper needed him.

   Gordon was thundering down the line, as usual. It was a rather cloudy day, but that didn't matter one bit.

"Express coming throooooough!!" he bellowed, blowing his whistle at the engines he passed. When he passed Henry, he noticed he looked concerned. Very concerned. He wasn't moving, so had he broken down? Not that he could ask, the Express couldn't stop, he'd have to ask him later.

   Later came soon enough, as Gordon had to take a heavy goods train. He hated it, but it was currently the only way he could talk to Henry. They bumped into each other at Crosby, and Henry still had the same concerned look on his face.

"Henry," Gordon hummed, "What's troubling you?"

"..Gordon.."

"..I'm troubling you?!"

"No, you blue buffoon!" Henry sighed. "...I found something while I was on my way to the Flying Kipper.."

"Found something as in..?"

"..I heard screaming, I'm sure of it. You know where that giant oak tree is?"

"Of course, it's an eye sore. It sticks out so much!"

"Well, about half a kilometer from it, I found a very old looking siding, hasn't been used in who knows how long. Someone was over there, I heard their wheels moving before I booked it.."

"..You really don't think.."

"It's worth a shot..who's going to tell him..?"

"You're the only one besides Thomas who can even get close to James without getting your buffers bashed in sideways, Gordon..soooo.."

"..Fine fine..I'll tell him. Even with all this, it's easy to know where he is since he hardly ever leaves the sheds.