Chlorine in its concentrated form is poisonous to humans, but in regulated increments, diluted, it is rather harmless. Allergic or poisonous reactions to this chemical do not produce the symptoms I describe here. Also, an EpiPen ISN'T used for chlorine poisoning, but this is fiction and I can do what I want. The only factual thing I have included about the EpiPen is the way it is administered (in the thigh and held for several seconds). Using this pen in any manner other than the way it is intended could result in severe consequences and DEATH. This is FICTION, my friends. I created this reaction and treatment because nothing else would have suited the plot.

Elle was listening to her father talk as she continued to watch Damian perfect his diving technique. He really shouldn't be diving while alone, but Elle could hardly complain since she had been known to sneak down to the pool for midnight swims while living at home. She didn't say anything since she and her father were right there watching . . . Well, she was watching, at least. Her father was still ranting at her – civilly, for once.

Damian moved to the end of the highest diving board, and positioned himself. Elle ignored her father's words as she concentrated on his form. She frowned. Damian's feet weren't extended far enough out for a back flip. If he didn't project himself away from the board with extra force . . . Elle's eyes widened, and she slapped her palm against the glass.

"Damian, NO," She screamed.

But even as she screamed, the boy jumped and managed a partial flip before smacking his forehead on the edge of the board. It was obvious even before he hit the water that he was unconscious.

Jerking her robe off, Elle sprinted toward the door to the pool. She wasn't so focused on Damian that she wasn't fully aware of what she was about to do. She wasn't a fool, but the boy was important to Dick! He was important to her! They had bonded in the music room . . . At least, Elle had. She couldn't just stand by; not while she was the boy's best chance!

The pool was incredibly deep, built as it was for scuba diving. Unconscious, Damian's body would quickly sink to uncomfortable levels. Elle knew she was better than most at handling the pressure and could hold her breath longer than the average person. And she was fast in the water; very fast!

Remembering her reaction to the chlorinated air, Elle took three deep consecutive breaths; holding the last one as she burst into the pool room. In five steps she was launching herself forward into a shallow dive.

It was like immersing herself in liquid fire, and almost caused her to release her precious air in a gasp of pain. Her vision wavered, but she could still see shapes. She pushed herself faster. It wouldn't save Damian if she lost consciousness before she rescued him. Worse, she would distract attention away from him if she ended up needing rescued alongside him!

Damian was nothing but a shadow that was sinking fast. When she reached him, Elle pinched his nose and blew what was left of the air in her lungs into his mouth, hoping it would give him an extra minute. She was already growing weak. Could she get him to the surface without a push? Eyeing the bottom, she judged it to only be a few feet away.

She sank down until her feet touched the bottom, and bent her knees. Then, in one massive effort, Elle shoved off, propelling herself upward with incredible force. As she jetted past Damian she thrust one arm under his and pulled him with her; kicking hard to keep her momentum from slowing.

The pain was growing steadily worse. Her lungs were burning now. Her vision was darkening, tunneling, but she could still make out shadows rushing to meet her near the side of the pool. As she broke the surface, she shoved Damian up and into the waiting arms of his family. As soon as she felt his weight disappear, Elle fell back into the pool of what felt like burning acid. Her body jolted as she began to seize, her lungs and stomach filling as she gasped; breathing in and swallowing the contaminated water.

She was dying.

It was her last thought when the darkness finally consumed her.

Dick spun around at Elle's scream. He caught the barest glimpse of something falling past the window.

Damian!

Even before any of them could react, Elle was stripping off her robe and rushing into the pool room.

No, his mind screamed.

He knew she was going to try to save his brother, but his mind was full with all he just learned about her. The raw fear in her father's face told him that she wouldn't come out of this as she had from the swim in the river. He raced after her. If he could stop her from diving into the pool, he could go in after Damian himself, and let her bodyguards pull her out of the poisonous air.

Dick was the first to burst through the door. He looked, but Elle was already nearly to his brother. Damn, he thought, she was fast!

He saw her pause beside his brother's unconscious body, then sink the last few feet to the bottom. She didn't give him long to wonder what she was doing before she thrust herself up at a speed he knew the average human couldn't achieve while moving through the density of water. She caught his brother and continued upward, her speed not slowing visibly.

Dick reached the side of the pool at the same time Bruce did. They stuck their arms out simultaneously just as Elle surfaced, practically throwing the boy to them. He and Bruce caught Damian's limp body, and pulled him to safety, but not before Dick caught the briefest glimpse of Elle. Her skin was a mass of blotchy red welts. Her teeth had been clenched tight against what must be terrible pain; her lips were already tinged blue.

As soon as Dick was assured that Bruce had Damian secure in his arms, he turned and dove in after Elle. It had only taken that one glimpse to know she was in serious trouble. He saw her sinking below him, unable to swim to him now. Even in the water, he could tell her skin was beginning to blister. He saw another figure dive in to the water from his periphery. One of her bodyguards, he thought. Hugh . . .

Dick reached her first.

She began to seize even as he reached for her. He had a hard time keeping his arm around her. He kicked hard, struggling to pull her convulsing body through the poisonous water. Then suddenly Hugh was there. He grabbed her under one arm and Dick switched his hold to match; the two men swimming hard to reach the surface. Edward and Lazlo leaned down, and took her from them as soon as they broke the surface; dragging her away from the pool's edge.

Dick pushed himself out of the water, glancing in Bruce's direction. Damian was leaning on his side, coughing up water and dripping blood from a cut across the center of his forehead. He was going to be all right. Bruce waved at Dick, leaving him free to go to Elle's side without worry over his brother. Bruce, Tim, and Alfred had Damian.

He crawled to Elle side as soon as he cleared the side of the pool, and gasped at her condition. Her entire body was bright red and covered with raised blisters. Blue veins were visible lacing across her skin. Her lips, fingertips, and toes were already blue. Her body was spasming beneath the multiple hands that held her down.

"Oh my God," he cried out. "Elle!"

What should he do? He kneeled next to her feeling overwhelmed and helpless. He didn't know how to help her! Was she even breathing?

Someone held the EpiPen out to him from over his shoulder. He stared at the fat syringe. When he hesitated, Edward grabbed it and punched it into Elle's thigh; holding it there for several seconds. Shortly after that, Elle coughed, and rolled onto her elbows and knees. Her whole body convulsed as she retched large amounts of pool water; ejecting it violently from her body.

"Do you have a shower close?"

Dick pointed in the direction of the locker room doors as Bruce answered for him with an affirmative.

"Hurry," her father commanded. "We have to get her stripped and the pool water off of her!"

He turned to Alfred. "You have bottled water here?"

Alfred's usual reserve appeared shaken by what they had all witnessed, but he answered quickly, used to Bat family medical emergencies. "Yes, I purchased a case when Miss Arabella requested your company's brand."

"Get it," he barked. "We have to flush as much of it out of her system as possible!"

Edward picked up Elle's now-limp body, and he and Hugh rushed her to the locker room, and the life-saving shower. Dick stumbled to his feet. Cedric grabbed a hold of his arm, but turned toward Bruce; his eyes on the recovering child.

"Is the boy all right?" His voice was gentle for once.

Bruce was looking a little wide-eyed himself, but nodded to the older man. "Yes. I think he'll be fine. Your daughter got to him quickly. Thank you."

Cedric grimaced, but nodded his head in acknowledgement. He turned away, pulling Dick with him.

"I hope Elle will be all right," Bruce called after him. "I've never seen a reaction like that before."

Cedric paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Unfortunately, I have, although it wasn't as bad as this one." He turned back in the direction of the locker room.

"If you are serious about my daughter at all, then you need to be there to see this," the older man told Dick, as he used him for support. His cane had disappeared somewhere. Probably it was back in the gymnasium. "I hope you aren't squeamish."

Dick swallowed. He had never been squeamish before, but then he had never watched a woman he had only just accepted that he loved nearly die in such a nightmarish fashion. He felt dazed and horrified. He followed her father because he couldn't not follow the man. But he walked a little faster; suddenly desperate to see Elle; to hold her, to help her in some way.

"My God, if she knew that could happen, what was she thinking," Dick asked, helping the man across the wet concrete.

Cedric looked up at the young man his daughter so obviously cared for. "Well, she didn't think this would happen," he admitted. "Otherwise, I doubt she would have ever agreed to swim in the first place. But I'm fairly certain after breathing just the chlorinated air in here that she had an inkling of what the water would do to her. The first time wasn't fun, but it also wasn't nearly this severe."

"She should have let me go after Damian," Dick muttered.

"Hm, perhaps, but perhaps not," Elle's father said cryptically. "I doubt the boy would be recovering quite so quickly without my Bella's aid. She had pulled him out of the water just as you and your father arrived. Had he been under longer, his recovery might have been a bit more harrowing."

They pushed the locker room door open. "I love my brother, Mr. Hamilton, but I can't say that I would willingly trade Elle's life for his."

Cedric cocked an eyebrow. "You would prefer to save her life over his?"

"No! That isn't what I meant," Dick growled. He could hear the water running from the shower room. "I just hate that either of them were hurt."

Cedric didn't speak, but the first smile since seeing that news broadcast the previous evening crossed his face. He couldn't imagine even one of those namby-pamby elitists that he had been forcing on his daughter as escorts for the past six years would have been willing to walk in here with him after witnessing the scene by the pool. One look at those blisters would have sent every single one of them scurrying out of the room and out of his daughter's life without a second glance.

Well, he thought. Let's see what this fellow is made of . . .