The bell above the door tinkled as a portly man doggedly marched in. His face was flushed with exertion, his breathing laboured. He dressed well and had evidently taken the time to comb his hair, but one side of it now stuck up like a wire fence. He dragged a barely responsive woman in with him, her expression never once changing except for the occasional blink of two mud- brown eyes.

"Hi and welcome to my shop! I'm the Wife-i Whizzperer! How may I help you?"

The man started at the chirpy voice but when he saw the shop owner with her sleeves rolled up, relief took over. He gestured at the lady he'd brought, still wheezing.

"Catch a breath sir, and then you can tell me what you need."

"I- It's..."

"Take your time, sir."

"It's just... I woke up today... and Marlena was like this."

"I beg your pardon, Mr...?"

"Mr. Abraham Thurston, how do you do. Marlena, my wife, she's never been like this before. Completely unanimated, dull, blank. Please fix her."

The Wife-i Whizzperer tapped her chin.

"You say she only became like this today. However, I don't think this was a sudden onset. Her condition typically only occurs after a gradual build- up of warning signs."

"Warning signs?"

"Little symptoms. Mr. Thurston, could you do me a favour and tell me...