Rescued Whumpee/Character stuff where they’re past the life-or-death phase and starting to recover
Sleep debt - Character who’s exhaustion catches up to them, falling asleep on car rides / watching movies / anytime they’re not actively doing anything while they recover
Lost strength - Character struggling do a lot of things they used to be able to do easily, like open sealed containers / take long walks / go up stairs
Zoning out - Character who’s not all there a lot of the time, having difficulty paying attention to conversations and consistently needing to be brought back to the present
Tremors - Character whose hands shake most of the time, everyone around them pretending they don’t see it but they do. And every time they can’t help but be reminded of before, when their hands were steady
Hunger - At first, Character seems to pick at their food, reluctant, getting sick more often than not. Later on, once they’re used to consistent meals, their appetite is back tenfold - they slowly start to branch out, they learn to cook/what they like, and eventually get back to a healthy weight
Showers - Character isn’t strong enough to properly wash themselves yet, but able to try. Caretaker starts to notice when their hair’s greasy/tangled after they shower alone, and offers to help again. When Character is stubborn, they suggest alternatives (dry shampoo, just brushing Character’s hair out, helping only on the bad days, etc).
Talking - Character who has a hard time speaking after the event. Either due to trauma, injuries that affect their speech, what have you; the most Character can do at times is hum, and when they are able to speak, it’s quiet and with a lack of confidence. Caretaker eventually learns to slow down and listen with patience
Anxiety - Formerly outgoing and adventurous Character now struggling with panic attacks, afraid to do the things they used to take for granted (grocery stores, activities, sometimes even just going outside). When they’re able to start doing these things again after months/years of work and building up to it, they finally feel free. They cry from relief and happiness the first time they come home from taking a trip to the grocery store by themself
