"So, Robin, what brings you in today?"
Robin sat on the couch and crossed his legs. He stared at his hands as they gripped his ankles. Across from him, a blonde woman, hair secured into a tight bun, tapped a pen against a clipboard. Her blue-grey eyes watched him carefully, albeit with the kind patience that doctors had.
"Mr. Wayne said I needed to talk to someone," he said. "Someone who'd be safe if I told the truth. You can't tell anyone, so no one will find out I blabbed."
Dr. Quinzel pushed up her glasses and nodded. "You're completely safe here, Robin."
Robin pulled in a deep breath and paused a minute, then said, "My foster home used to rent me out to the mob."
"You were part of the fighting rings?"
Robin's throat dried, and he swallowed hard with a nod.
"I've seen the scars that leaves. On the body and the mind. No one deserves that," Quinzel said softly. "What brought this up?"
Robin swallowed again. "I'm friends with Rachel Roth."
"Oh."
"And my jaw slipped out of place. I broke it in a fight years ago, and they didn't fix it. Every so often, it just quits. Vic helped me fix it and made sure I ate, but he also told Mr. Wayne."
"At least your friends are looking out for you."
"But Rae needs them more right now."
"You need each other, Robin. All of you need each other."
"It doesn't feel like it. I mean, I get everyone else. Kori's the understanding one. Vic's the practical one, Garfield's the funny one, and Rae's the mature one. The only thing I contribute is… I dunno. Access to Wayne Manor?"
"But what would they say? If you asked them what you contribute?"
Robin sighed and stared at the ceiling in thought. How could a room be so uncomfortable and so welcoming at once? Victor and Raven he could talk to, at least beyond a superficial level. He didn't really have a connection with Kori, and Garfield- Honestly, Garfield kind of pissed him off. It wasn't his fault, but he could just be a lot to process. He was a good gamer, though, which he could at least relate to.
"Beats me. I'm just the angry one."
"Angry? Why?"
"I just am. When I'm not anxious or depressed, I'm mad. Mr. Wayne is teaching me MMA, to let me vent, and that's helping a little. But it reminds me of the orphanage, too, just without anyone hitting back."
"It's only helping a little, though?" asked Quinzel.
Robin nodded. "I still get the urge to punch something sometimes. And on Monday, I hit Gar. He said he wanted someone to-."
"He's your friend, Robin."
"I know, but- He didn't understand. It just came out, and I hit him. I didn't even think about it."
"Were you mad at him, or someone else?"
Robin pursed his lips. "Roth."
"You want to punish him for what he did to Rachel."
"Yeah."
"But would it help?"
He scoffed and said, "I guess not."
Dr. Quinzel smiled gently at him. "Are you angry now?"
"I just hate that there's nothing I can do! I want to make him suffer. I want him to know what he did. I want- I want to kill my handler!"
He didn't realize Quinzel had stood up until she was touching his hands and pressing them together.
"Close your eyes, and squeeze," she instructed. "See it in your mind. His broken body under you."
He did, squeezing his hands together like he was pressing a diamond between them. His jaw crackled from how tightly he ground his teeth. Dr. Quinzel's hands vanished, but he kept focused on how much he hated the boss.
"Now. Let it go."
Every muscle in his body relaxed, and Robin started sobbing, lowering his face to his hands.
When he finally stopped and looked at Dr. Quinzel, she smiled again.
"You're hurt, Robin. A lot of us are. Your pain likes to manifest as rage. There's nothing that's going to change that. But it's important that you exercise that anger privately instead of taking it out on people."
"Okay."
"What we just did was visualization," she continued. "You saw what you wanted to happen. You let yourself be angry, and then you released it. That let you process what you were really feeling under all that hatred, that feeling of being used. That's probably why you're so focused on having a use and a place with your friends instead of just enjoying their company."
Robin sniffled and nodded. "Makes sense."
"It's okay to be angry, Robin, but you need to allow yourself to let go of it, too. Next time you train, tell yourself that it all ends here. All the frustration, the betrayal, the self-loathing stays in that room. When you're finished, use your grounding techniques to refocus and center yourself. Remember, anger is a cycle. I know you'd hate to really hurt one of your friends, and you'll only be mad at yourself if you do."
Robin nodded weakly again. He stayed silent for a while as the psychiatrist made a few notes. Then she spoke again.
"I'm going to suggest that Mr. Wayne schedule a physical for you. We need to make sure we take care of all of you, mind and body."
"But you won't tell him about Gregory, though, right?"
"Your… foster parent?" Robin nodded, and Quinzel said, "That's up to you. I can tell him, if you want. I can make an anonymous report. Or I can stay quiet."
Robin shook his head. "I don't want them to hurt you. Or Mr. Wayne."
Dr. Quinzel chuckled again as she adjusted her glasses. "Oh, Robin," she said confidently, "you never need to worry about me. Our time is about up, but can I ask one last thing?"
"Yeah, go for it."
"Are you still mad?"
Robin hesitated, then said, "Not really. I feel… I guess I feel calm."
"Calm is great," Dr. Quinzel assured him. "It's a big step towards happiness. I promise, you'll get there, but you'll have to trust me and Mr. Wayne. And, if you can, trust that the universe will take care of Gregory, okay?"
Sighing, Robin said, "I'll try. Thanks, Dr. Quinzel."
"Please. Harleen. Remember, you can call the office any time if you have an episode or just need support. I'm sure your friends will be there for you, too."
"Well, as long as I'm working on trust, I can try," Robin said, grinning. "Same time next week?"
"Sounds great, Robin."
AN: If I get enough requests, I will absolutely write a one-shot about Dr. Quinzel's reaction to this session. It's already half-constructed in my head, honestly. I'd just need to put it to paper for you.