She couldn't, and she didn't. Jon did manage to get herself out of the tub and into the hall, but once she was off the tile and onto the carpet, it was slow and painful going. The friction was greatly increased, and all her scales hurt as she dragged herself along. They weren't weak enough to break off, but it felt like thousands of little hairs being pulled at, or the world's worst case of rugburn. Such was the discomfort that Jon was only a third of the way to her room when her mother found her.
Jon got a severe scolding about being careful with her new body as her mother and father carried her back to the tub. "Really, dear," her mother said, "I know this is a difficult notion to adjust to, but you belong in the water now. You're not designed to move on land any more." They placed her back in the tub, and Jon's mom ran some more water. "Now, you're just going to have to stay in here until the pool is filled. I think you can figure out how to use the toilet yourself, but if you need something, for goodness' sake let us get it!"
"Well," Jon said, her new voice still unfamiliar, "there was a stone I had on my dresser...it's something Grandpa left for me..."
Her mom nodded. "I'll get it in a minute," she said. "I've got to get Mikey up and off to school; he picked up what you had, and became a pixie-girl overnight. At least you won't be the only one having to get used to being female." She turned off the water and stepped out, leaving Jon alone in the tub.
