Whumpril 2026 Day 8: Collapse
Whumpril Masterlist
Happy birthday to the anon who said it was their birthday today!! I hope you enjoy this snippet and that you have an awesome year ahead!
Caretaker flipped to the weather channel, where the meteorologist was going on about what conditions their area was to expect that evening. Strong wind chill, heavy precipitation, and chances of lightning. Caretaker cursed internally. They had told Whumpee to take a jacket with them when they went out! Now they were probably going to freeze to death out there!
Caretaker pulled out their phone and dialed Whumpee’s number. Ring. Ring. Too many rings.
Hey, this is Whumpee. Leave a message!
“Gosh darn it, Whumpee, pick up the phone!” Caretaker shouted after the beep, “come home now! Right now! You probably won’t even get this because you never check your voice mail!”
An automated voice began to speak.
“We are sorry, the person you are trying to reach has a full voicemail box. Please press one for more options.”
“Typical!” Caretaker huffed.
They tried to call Whumpee again. When they still didn’t answer, Caretaker stormed out of the living room. They stomped about the house, picking up their jacket, rainboots, and umbrella.
…
Whumpee’s phone had died two hours ago. They coughed and sniffled in the rain. Looks like they were getting a cold. They hugged themselves, rubbing their hands up and down their arms. They felt goosebumps on their skin, and their clothes were soaked through. They sneezed three times in succession and groaned.
They shivered and started on their way again. They just wanted to go home and get into something warm and dry. The only issue with this plan was the fact that Whumpee was notorious for having zero sense of direction. They would have used their GPS were it not for the fact that it was an app on their phone, the phone that was currently dead in their pocket.
They trudged down unfamiliar streets, almost slipping on a couple puddles. Their gait became uneven as their balance began to fail. The next puddle had them meet the concrete below. Whumpee cried out, collapsing on the pavement.
Immediately their ankle exploded into a symphony of hot daggers slicing through their pain receptors.
They went to push themselves up, but as soon as their ankle bore their weight, they saw stars. They fell back on the hard, rain-slicked ground.
Tears welled up in their eyes, mingling with the rain. They let them fall, and they didn’t care about any of the noise they made as they sobbed. They were so loud, that they didn’t even hear the squelch of rubbery footsteps behind them.
A shadow fell over them, and somehow the rain wasn’t coming down on them anymore. They glanced up and saw Caretaker put a hand on their shoulder.
“Come on,” Caretaker said, “we’re going home.”
Whumpee sneezed before they could answer. Caretaker’s jaw set, but they didn’t scold them.
“Aren’t you gonna yell at me?” Whumpee sniffled.
Caretaker hoisted them up and removed their raincoat. They helped Whumpee slip into it. As they did this, they noticed that Whumpee was currently standing on one leg.
Busted.
“What happened?” Caretaker asked.
“I think I landed on it wrong,” Whumpee mumbled.
Caretaker didn’t hesitate. Before Whumpee could argue, they slowly tilted them into a bridal carry position. They supported their back and legs, leaving the umbrella discarded on the ground.
“You’re gonna get wet!” Whumpee protested.
Even so, they wrapped their arms around Caretaker’s neck. Caretaker didn’t answer, they just started the trek back to the house.
“You’re mad at me.” Whumpee looked down at Caretaker’s rainboots.
“Oh yeah, furious,” Caretaker said, rolling their eyes, “everyone knows I hold a grudge. I truly am a very unforgiving person. Especially when it comes to you.”
Tears brimmed in Whumpee’s eyes. They knew it.
“I was being sarcastic, Whumpee!”
Oh. The pain might be clouding their judgment.
“I could never stay mad at you,” Caretaker went on, “we’re gonna get you home and have a look at your ankle, and then it’ll be time for a hot shower.”
“And bed?”
“And bed.”
Whumpee hugged Caretaker as best they could. Caretaker traversed the front steps and set Whumpee down just long enough to unlock the front door, then picked them up again. They deposited them across the couch and went to fetch the first aid kit.
The TV was on; it was showing the weather channel. Man, it really was gonna be a downpour tonight. Thank goodness Caretaker had a jacket.
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