Sally lay soaking in the tub when she heard the doorbell. Flopping out of the tub, she grabbed a towel and frantically tried to dry herself off. She heard the doorbell again.
"I'll be there in a moment!" Sally shouted, hoping Nick could hear her.
She finally dried her tail enough for the scales to recede. Soon she had her legs and normal-sized breasts again. Stumbling to her feet, she wrapped the towel around her body and hurried to the door.
"Oh, Nick, thank goodness!" Sally said and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.
"What's going on? When you called it sounded urgent, but you open the door wearing a towel. That's not the same kind of urgency that your phone call indicated."
"I wish that was my problem right now! Come inside and I'll explain."
Sally led Nick into her bedroom to stay near the bathtub. They sat on the edge of the bed and he looked at her skeptically. Sally could tell what was on his mind.
"I swear this is not an elaborate booty call. I called you because I keep turning into a mermaid!"
Nick looked at her with disbelief. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. And it's not as great as it sounds: I keep sweating uncontrollably then changing uncontrollably. And when I get a fish tail I also have a fish smell, and my breasts swell up to a G-cup then a weird seashell-like bra grows over them. I only change back by getting in the shower or tub until I cool off then drying off. It's happened twice already and I'm sure it will happen again soon. I need your help!"
"What on Earth would have caused this?"
"I got some foot ointment from a Chinese medicinal shop; it had some weird side effects. I need you to get me to the hospital before I change again. Better bring the ointment container too. Maybe they can find a way to cure me? Otherwise I'll be stuck forever as a smelly freak!"
Sally broken down sobbing on Nick's shoulder. Nick wrapped his arms around his girlfriend to comfort her.
"It'll be alright. Whatever is happening to you I'm here for you."
Sally stifled her sobs enough to give Nick a smile.
"Thank you."