Damian and Titus- A Service Dog Fanfiction

Dr. Leslie Thompkins

Damian got to leave early again, but not for anything fun. Better than therapy- but not by much; Damian was headed to the see his doctor and treating psychiatrist, Dr. Leslie. She was the sole doctor that knew of the vigilante family's history, and the only one who Damian saw for medications.

Once the bell rang, Damian skipped the lunch period and headed out to the main desk and sat, waiting for Dick to finish signing him out. Titus was wearing a blue vest with embroidered fireworks for the upcoming new year. Hopefully it would be better than the past shittier ones. Like... the last 13 years, pretty much.

"Hello, Damian Wayne of Gotham."

"Hello, Dr. Thompkins M.D." Damian replied. "Some things never change."

"Is that so bad?" Leslie asked, taking a seat.

"Stop trying to get in my head." Damian frowned.

"That's my job kiddo. We need to check your weight.... and height. Blood pressure- the usual routine."

The balance beam scale designated that Damian was about 129 pounds and 5 feet, 4 inches. His blood pressure was a little low. Pulse was higher than usual.

"Nervous?"

"No."

"Lying?"

"Yes."

Leslie almost put her hand on Damian's back to guide him to his chair, but Titus perked up at the near-touch, and she remembered Damian's trauma response.

"We have some things to discuss."

Frown. Sigh. "How are you?" Damian asked, crossing his head and leaning his head on his hand.

"Let's talk about you."

"It's my session. I decide."

Dr. Leslie laughed gently. "You can boss me around when you have your doctorate and 9 years of residency."

"Tt."

Leslie sat back in her chair and looked at the written charts. "BMI is low."

"A dreadful indicator, really." Damian muttered. He cleared his throat and Titus sat on his feet for grounding. "I'm all muscle. Of course I'm heavy."

Frown. Sigh. This time by Leslie. "That would have made it high. Your BMI is low."

"Right. Simple mistake. I'm not all here." Damian admitted.

"Where are you?"

For a while, Damian thought. Was it before the League fell? Yes, of course it was. He was thirteen. In this memory he was about six. It was an incident where his mother pierced his back, right into his shoulder blade. He couldn't move his left arm at all. She pulled out the saber's tip and kicked him to the ground telling him that simple mistakes were unacceptable when he could not hold a sword. She told him she was offended. That she was embarrassed. And that he was a complex mistake and would never fight like his father.

"AHhH!" Damian cried out, eyes unglazing and looking with fear in his eyes as he grabbed his shoulder blade. Titus had done his job and was on his lap. He sat back and lifted his paw for Damian to shake. Damian shook.

"I think I'm done here." Damian said. But Titus would not let him up. "Titus of Gotham!" Damian shouted. "Stop!"

But Titus remained on guard and waited patiently in Damian's lap until his heart rate went down. Damian groaned and Leslie continued. 

"What did you see?"

"My mother." Damian growled, dark bags under his eyes. He was no longer shaking.

"I'm adding a PRN. It's a prescription that you can use as you need. If you'd like, I can write a letter to your school allowing you to keep some in Titus' vest."

"No." Damian said. "I said no to the nightmare medication- no to whatever this is for."

"Anxiety, Damian."

"No."

A heavy sigh. Again by Leslie. "Well, Damian, I'll talk with your guardians. I'm sure you can all make a proper decision."

Wordlessly, Damian got up and nodded at Leslie. He would never admit that she was right. He could never admit that he was might even be wrong by not accepting the help.

Waiting for his oldest brother to show up was a pain because Damian was anxious to just go. He didn't want to go back to his dorm to a worried Jon, but he didn't like being at the doctor's office.

When Dick finally showed up (it had only been nine minutes), the ride was silent. Dick turned to Damian. "You know I care about you, right?"

"Of course."

"Then... promise me. When you get anxious. I left a note in Titus' vest. Read it when you need."

"Okay." Damian said, apathetically.

"No." Dick said. "Seriously. Read it when you're anxious."

Dick handed Damian's backpack to him and squeezed his little brother's shoulder before sending Damian back to the dormitory.

It didn't take long before the anxiety set in. Damian finally cracked and opened the vest pocket in Titus' vest.

"You're a nerd :p" Dick wrote on the back of Damian's calculus notes. "P.S. Check your water bottle."

Damian laughed and then opened his empty thermos and heard it rattle, he dumped it out and there were his pills. Dick was late because he went to the pharmacy. Damian frowned.

"You're a nerd."

Thinking of the right thing to do, Damian popped one in and waited ten minutes before feeling a weird feeling: safe, comfortable.

"Daman it Dr. Leslie. Damn it Dick." He said, amused. Even quieter he whispered. "Thank you."