So I saw @blood-and-silver 's ghost!Travis idea and that gave me a thought. Imma throw in the cents that my brain just spat out. Feel free to use this idea bit I posted for fics and stuff.
What if the counselors all think he's dead but his body is in a coma. Chris moved him from the hospital to their family home or somewhere in the woods or smth(despite their bitch mother's protest), and maybe Bobby or someone moves his body regulary to prevent bedsore. He got all sorts of tubes, monitors and stuff plugged into him, and his spirit doesn't stay in that room for too long because it reminds him of his current helpless state and the burden he's putting on his family for simply being alive.
Maybe that makes his self-destructive tendency even worse and makes him want to move on for real. All that negative thought weakens his will to live, therefore, his soul's bond to the body, and the more it happens the more life Eliza gets to absorb from him like a leech.
His sense of responsibility and love for the family is the only thing that keeps him bound to the area, to his body. Also due to his unusual circumstance and Eliza's curse, he gets stronger during the night, especially when the moon is bright. If it's full moon, he goes full corporeal even, and only the older, higher-level ghosts could achieve that, but his will is so strong, that and the curse not only takes from him, it empowers his spiritual side, so both of them combined he is a force to be reckoned with. Especially if he's mad or determined. Or both.
But it also has a downside. The more ghost power he uses, the weaker the link between his soul and body gets, and one time, he over-exerted himself, and his body suffered cardiac arrest. After seeing Chris completely break down over it, Travis has been more careful using his powers.
I dunno. Maybe one of the counselors find the secret room, or a secluded cabin or smth and there's an unconscious man lying on the bed, surrounded with all sorts of medical equipments. Obviously Travis won't reveal that he's still alive, since his body is his weakness, so for them to find out the 'Patrolling Phantom of Hackett's Quarry' is not actually a phantom? That'll be quite a reveal.
If he does manage to wake up, it'll be awful. Sure, he's alive, but ow. Everything hurts. He's so disoriented, so weakened after 6 years, it doesn't help that he's old, and he didn't realize until now that a body could be this heavy and cumbersome. But with the curse gone the body quickly recovers, although he's still bed-ridden for awhile. Fluffy reunion maybe. I never leave constance alive in my stories so assume she's a goner😊 Only Chackett Thackett tearful hug and good vibes everyone. The kids got their uncle back! And they know he cared for them for all those years too.
He'll look at life in different light and maybe learn to enjoy his second chance.
Felt like being fluffy 'cuz I had a decent day. Travis x Happiness forever.
