The Littlest Fire Engine - ThomasNATION Fanstory
September 28, 2024
"FIRE!" screamed Rheneas. "Call the Search and Rescue team!"
The stationmaster called the Search and Rescue Centre urging them to send Flynn as Skarloey, Peter Sam and Sir Handel evacuated the station.
"Is that everyone?!" cried Sir Handel.
"Yes, we've checked!" shouted Skarloey over the roar of the inferno. “Anything from the Search and Rescue team?”
“I couldn’t hear the manager properly,” Sir Handel explained, “but I think Flynn’s on his way!”
"The sooner he gets here, the better," cried Skarloey as the flames grew higher, "we can't risk losing the station!"
Soon enough, Flynn finally made it to the narrow gauge railway as Rusty noticed at Crovan's Gate. "He's here!"
"Have no fear," boomed Flynn triumphantly, "for Fiery Flynn is here!"
The narrow gauge engines cheered! Their worries were finally over! But when Flynn switched to his road wheels and raced onto the roadways...he stopped. There was debris on the road, blocking his path.
"What's he doing?!" panicked Rheneas.
"The road is blocked!" Flynn cried. "I can't get to the station!"
"You MUST be joking!" groaned Sir Handel.
"Now what?!" cried Skarloey.
"There has to be another way!" called Sir Handel. "Flynn! Do you think you can find another way down?"
"I can try!" Flynn called out, thinking his hardest. He thought for a good bit, until he just...rolled down the steep hill. His front was a little damaged, and now he was blocking the track, but the good news? He was able to reach the fire.
Once the smoke cleared, Mr. Percival had a good look at the damages. "Dear, oh dear. This is some delay and confusion if I've ever seen it in my life."
"Sir? If I may?" asked Sir Handel. "I've had an idea."
"If your idea doesn't involve preventing less of these fires," Mr. Percival scowled, "I'm not sure I want to hear it."
"No, no, that's the thing!" added Sir Handel. "I think what we need a narrow-gauge fire engine!"
"A narrow gauge fire engine?" pondered Mr. Percival. "It sounds rather risky. Where'd you get this idea?"
"Seeing Flynn today." started Sir Handel, gesturing to Flynn over at Crovan's Gate, who was talking to Belle. "He was unable to get to the station properly because of the debris from the fire. So if we get another fire engine, like Belle over there, we can prevent more of these fires!"
"Now that is an idea!" smiled Mr. Percival. "I love it, Sir Handel. I'll talk to the manager at the Search and Rescue Centre right away!"
The next morning, the engines at the depot woke up to a strange shadow approaching the sheds. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before.
"What's that?" asked Rheneas.
A red and yellow diesel engine with two water cannons attached to a small water tank rolled into the depot.
"Everyone," started Mr. Percival, "I'd like you to meet the newest addition to our family. Say hi to Morton!"
The engines gasped in awe at Morton, except Duncan who had no idea what to make of him. “What a funny looking engine.”
“Duncan, be nice.” scowled Skarloey. “If he’s going to be a part of our railway, we need to treat him as such.”
“I couldn’t agree more!” smiled Sir Handel. “Morton, may I be the first to welcome you to our railway!”
“Ah, pleasure to be here.” smiled Morton. “Nice sheds!”
"Aw, thanks!" chuckled Rusty. "We had them repainted recently. They were built in-"
Morton wasted no time in parking his wheels in an empty berth. "Ah, that's more like it."
The other engines glanced at Morton in the shed. "Is he really taking a nap?" asked Duncan. "He just got here!"
"Maybe it was a long trip?" suggested Rheneas.
"Crovan's Gate isn’t even that far away from the mainland!” replied Duncan.
“The mainland’s a big place.” thought Rheneas.
“Guys, guys.” Skarloey interrupted. “I know, at first, new engines can seem unusual at first, but it may just take him a bit of time to fit in, find his place and get used to how we do things around here.”
“He’s a fire engine!” grumbled Duncan. “He doesn’t even have a coupling hook! How’s he gonna be useful?”
“Behave, Duncan…” sighed Skarloey. “Everyone is useful in their own right. Even Morton.”
As the week went on, there wasn’t that much worry about fires. Not because there was a major onslaught of fires, but because...they had Morton. Why should they worry? Well, the fact he would keep sitting around in his shed would be a good reason. While the other engines on the Skarloey Railway worked their hardest, Morton just kept sitting around snoozing. He didn't join in the work, he didn't help out, he was just sitting there, doing nothing. Even Skarloey was getting fed up with his laziness.
"He's still just sitting there!" groaned Duncan. "He hasn't done one thing since he got here!"
"I suppose when there's no fire," Rheneas sighed, "there's not really any use for him."
"Boys, I don't like his laziness anymore than you do," Skarloey started, "but that doesn't mean he can't be really useful."
"Honestly, Skarloey, you have to be in denial." Duncan rolled his eyes. "If he's just gonna sit there doing nothing, there's no point to having him on the railway! He just takes up a load of space!"
The engines puff away from the depot, Skarloey solemnly debating on whether or not Duncan was right. But later that day, Duncan had to take a goods train up to the Upland Station, when...
"Duncan!" cried Rusty as he passed him. "Careful on the track!"
Duncan couldn't hear him over the rattle of his trucks. "Sorry, what'd you say?"
But it was too late. Rocks had fallen onto the line. Duncan tried to put the brakes on, but his cargo was too heavy. He couldn't slow down, and he crashed right into the rocks until he was dangerously careening over the mountain. Sir Handel was pulling up behind him, witnessing everything unfold.
"Duncan!" gasped Sir Handel. "What happened?!"
"Oh, I just decided it's a nice day for a rest-WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED?!" yelled Duncan. "Get some help!"
"Everyone else is busy!"
"Of course they are!"
"And I can't help you, I'm not strong enough!"
"Tell me something I don't know!"
"...you know, I could just not help you."
"I'm sorry if I'm not in the best of moods," Duncan grumbled, "it's just that I'm dangling over a cliff with no one to help!"
Then, an idea flew into Sir Handel's funnel. "Wait a minute. Not no one! I'll be right back."
Sir Handel raced back to the depot, looking for Morton. Thankfully, he knew right where to look, since the guy never went anywhere.
"Morton!" cried Sir Handel.
Morton woke up with a jolt. "Eh?"
"We need your help!"
"Is it a fire?"
"No! Duncan is-"
"Oh, then what do you need me for?" Morton muttered as he went back to sleep.
Sir Handel rolled his eyes and blew his whistle as loud as he could, waking him back up. "Morton, you're the only engine who can help!"
Morton sighed. "Why do you need me? I thought there was no point to having me on the railway."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't think I hear all that stuff you lot say about me?" Morton vented. "How I don't have a coupling hook? How I just take up a load of space? How there's no use for me? And y'know something? They're right. I've only ever been good at fighting fires! I'm not even an engine! I'm just a big red joke!"
Sir Handel listened carefully to Morton's words. Everything was starting to make sense. "Now I get it. You weren't refusing to be useful, you're worried you can't be useful."
"Right on the money." sighed Morton.
"Well, maybe you can." Sir Handel started. "How do you know if you've never tried? All it takes is that one step forward to get you into your place. And right now, your place is here, with us. It took me a while to find where I belong on the railway, now it's time to find your place."
Morton was inspired by Sir Handel's words. "You're right. I'm not a big red joke, I am a fire engine! Now, where's Duncan?"
Morton and Sir Handel raced back to the mountain. Duncan was still careening over the side of the hill, but time was of the essence.
"Duncan!" cried Morton. "I'm here to help!"
"About time!" groaned Duncan.
"Ignore him, he's always like this!" Sir Handel called out as Morton's hose was hooked up to Duncan's train. "Now PULL!"
Morton pulled with all his might. It took a while, but he managed to pull Duncan back onto the rails. The engines nearby cheered and chanted Morton's name. "MORTON! MORTON! MORTON!"
"Wow!" gasped Duncan. "Morton, you saved me? After all I said about you?"
"Yeah, no hard feelings." chuckled Morton. "Besides, you'd have done the same for me."
A few days later, Thomas had brought Morton back from the Dieselworks. Skarloey and Sir Handel observed the scene as Rocky lifted Morton onto the tracks.
"Why was he even at the Dieselworks?" asked Skarloey. "He wasn't that badly damaged."
"I don't know," said Thomas. "He just said he had a surprise."
"And I do." laughed Morton. "Look!"
Sir Handel looked behind Morton. He had been fitted with a new coupling hook!
"Wow, a coupling hook?" gasped Sir Handel.
"Yeah, so I can be really useful beyond saving engines and putting out fires." Morton smiled. "Now I have no excuse to sit around and do nothing."
"Well, it looks fantastic." Sir Handel said.
"Well, it's like you said," smiled Morton, "it's one step forward to finding my place here."
Just then, Rheneas rushed in. "FIRE! Morton, there's a fire at the Blue Mountain Quarry!"
"Really?" Morton gasped. "Well, what are we sitting around here for? Let's go!"
Morton raced off, ready to face the fire.
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