CONFIDENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT
PATIENT:Â Richard "Dick" Grayson
THERAPIST:Â Dr. Misaki Eto
SESSION DATE:Â [REDACTED]
FILE STATUS:Â TOP SECRET
Dr. Misaki Eto enters the room with a cup of tea, placing it in front of Richard Grayson, who is sitting with a brightâalbeit tiredâsmile.
Dr. Eto:Â "Alright, Richard. Before we begin, I should let you know that this is a safe space. You can talk about anything, no judgment. Also, I brought tea. Because, frankly, you look like you need it."
Grayson: chuckles "Oh, you have no idea." takes the tea gratefully "And you can call me Dick."
Dr. Eto:Â "Dick, then. So, tell me, what brings you here today? And if you say âBruce made me,â I will absolutely call him and tell him he needs therapy first."
Grayson: laughs, but it sounds a little too practiced "Well⊠technically, it wasnât Bruce. It was a friend. They said I needed to âget my head checked outâ because I donât know how to take a break. Which is ridiculous, by the way. I love breaks. Breaks are great."
Dr. Eto: raises an eyebrow "Uh-huh. And when was your last break?"
Grayson: sips his tea, eyes darting to the ceiling as if the answer is written there "...Does sleep count?"
Dr. Eto:Â "If you have to ask, then no. So, when was it?"
Grayson:Â "Define âbreak.â"
Dr. Eto:Â "Time where you are not working, fighting, solving other peopleâs problems, or emotionally carrying an entire group of people who do not understand the concept of processing their emotions properly."
Grayson: silence blinks sips tea
Dr. Eto:Â "Yeah, thatâs what I thought."
Grayson: sighs, rubbing his face "Okay, okay. So maybe I donât take breaks. But I like helping people. I canât just⊠stop. What if someone needs me?"
Dr. Eto: "What if you need you?"
Grayson: pauses, clearly thrown off "...Well, damn."
Dr. Eto: "Yeah. Damn. Thatâs what I thought." leans forward "Dick, Iâve seen a lot of people like you. People who think that if they just keep moving, they wonât have to deal with all the weight theyâre carrying. But let me ask you this: what happens when you finally stop?"
Grayson:Â "...I donât know."
Dr. Eto: nods knowingly "Thatâs the problem, isnât it? You donât know because you never stop. Youâre a high-functioning burnout case waiting to happen."
Grayson: huffs "Okay, thatâs dramatic."
Dr. Eto:Â "Is it? You flinch when I bring up rest. You deflect with humor. You refuse to admit youâre exhausted because then youâd have to acknowledge that you need help. And if you do that, then what? You think everyone around you is going to fall apart?"
Dr. Eto:Â "Alright, letâs do something fun. On a scale from âIâm doing greatâ to âI cried in my car last week and pretended it was just allergies,â how are you?"
Grayson:Â sips tea aggressively
Dr. Eto: nods "Got it. Not great."
Grayson: laughs softly "Youâre good at this."
Dr. Eto: "Youâre not the first person Iâve met who wears a smile like armor." leans back in chair "But hereâs the thing, Dick. I donât care how many people you help if youâre running yourself into the ground while doing it. If you burn out, if you collapse, who takes care of you?"
Grayson: quietly "...I donât know."
Dr. Eto: softens "Thatâs what we need to fix. You deserve rest, Dick. You deserve to stop without feeling guilty about it."
Grayson: nods slowly "...Thatâs really hard for me."
Dr. Eto:Â "I know. Which is why I already made the decision for you."
Grayson: blinks "...What?"
Dr. Eto:Â "Youâre taking a mandatory two-week break. Effective immediately. No work, no fighting crime, no carrying the emotional baggage of your entire family. Just rest."
Grayson: laughs, but in the way someone does when theyâre hoping youâre joking "You canât be serious."
Dr. Eto: "Dead serious. And to make sure you actually take this break, Iâve already written letters."
Dr. Eto: "Letters. One to your workâbecause I know you have a job outside of whatever it is you actually doâone to your family, and one to whoever signs off on your daily self-sacrificial tendencies."
Grayson: stares "You did not."
Dr. Eto: smugly "Oh, I did. And if I hear that you are not taking this break, I will personally show up at your home and read them all aloud."
Grayson: mutters "This is an abuse of power."
Dr. Eto: "This is therapy."
Grayson: sighs, rubbing his temples "Okay, okay. You win. Two weeks."
Dr. Eto: smiles warmly "Good. Now, finish your tea. Itâs supposed to help with stress."
Grayson:Â "Do you have one that helps with existential crises?"
Dr. Eto: grins "Iâll see what I can do."
THERAPIST NOTES:
Diagnosis: Overworked. Severely emotionally exhausted. Too good at pretending heâs fine.
Treatment Plan: Mandatory two-week break. Monitor stress levels. Introduce actual rest as a concept. Maybe trick him into hobbies that donât involve saving people.
One to his very concerned workplace
One to his probably dysfunctional family
One to the man who may or may not be Batman
Conclusion: Richard Grayson is a chronic overachiever with a hero complex the size of Gotham. He is a genuinely good person who struggles to believe he deserves rest. For now, I will force him into taking a break. If he does not take it, I will personally track down the person who raised him and tell them to intervene.
âŠThough, something tells me that person is also in desperate need of therapy.
FILE STATUS: ACTIVE
NEXT SESSION: TWO WEEKS (AFTER HE ACTUALLY RESTS)