It had been months since the ring took hold of Dick's body. Months since Dick was free. Dick, however, still had the lingering fear he was going to hurt someone. He kept himself distanced from the team, unwilling to get closer to then again. Dick was very skittish, almost constantly playing with something. Bruce had gotten him a fidget toy when he started picking at his shirts, and it had helped tremendously.
Bruce and Wally were the only people Dick would allow to touch him. Sometimes Dick would go into panic attacks, and didn't want anyone to touch him. Wally simple sat nearby and let Dick do what he needed to do. It broke his heart, not being able to help, but he did what he could.
Dick had been going to therapy with Dinah, explaining how he feared someone would get hurt. She was trying to help him find ways to cope. The fidget toy had obviously helped, and she wanted to find ways that helped. Sometimes, when Dick was in the right mood, he would allow her to grab his hands.
Dick often woke from nightmares, bolting awake. Wally often pulled Dick close, gently shushing him as he sobbed. Dick wanted nothing more than to bury himself in Wally's presence at those times, crying his sorrows out. The time after the nightmares Wally had to be extremely careful, or risk letting Dick slip into a panic attack.
Dinah and Wally were slowly getting Dick to relax. Dick was starting to allow Wally to hold him during panic attacks. Wally started small at first, just holding Dick's hand. When Dick grew comfortable with that, Wally started petting his head. Then he moved on to hugging, holding Dick close.
Dick was able to get closer to the team. He couldn't touch them, not yet, but he could stand closer to them. The team was more than willing to take what they could get, having missed their best friend. When Dick went into panic attacks, Wally was the first person they called.
Over the course of two months, Dick grew comfortable with letting the team touch him. They pulled him into hugs, talked to him, made him feel relaxed. They didn't push him to spar, knowing it might trigger something from his rescue.
Dick had been on three missions with the team. One ended in a panic attack, but the other two simply ended as normal. Dick was a little insecure after missions, but was able to go back to normal after an hour or two. It took time, and the hero community knew that. They were as flexible as Dick needed them to be.
Dick was willing to try sparring with the team. They didn't wear costumes, only masks. Despite his fears, Dick won continuously. The team could see him holding back, using only evasive maneuvers. He didn't touch the team other than flipping over them or knocking their feet out from under them.
When Dick grew comfortable with sparring with masks, they began using costumes. Dick couldn't bring himself to fight Wally, but he could hesitantly fight the rest. They always made sure Dick knew they weren't hurt afterwards, hugging him to be certain. It would take time, but Dick would be alright.
