"Do I look like I have a vitamin deficiency?" asked the redheaded starlet.
"Ginger, you don't look like you have a deficiency of anything." The Professor answered.
Ginger smiled to herself replaying the comment the Professor had made to her.
Saying she did not appear to be suffering from a deficiency of anything. When he said those words her heart soared. To her it meant he believed her to be beautiful. He used the word anything. Didn't just comment on the vitamin C they all needed. No he said anything.
She giggled to herself and Mary Ann looked at her. "What is with you?" She asked.
"Did you hear what the Professor said?" Ginger asked with a dreamy expression on her face.
Mary Ann nodded. "Yeah that we need to get more Vitamin C and that…"
"No!" Ginger said pouting. "I mean what he said to me."
"Oh." Mary Ann said trying to recall what the Professor had said to Ginger. "What was that?"
Ginger pursed her lips annoyed that Mary Ann would not recall the wonderful thing the Professor said to her.
"He said that I didn't look like I was suffering from a deficiency of anything." Ginger said emphasizing anything.
"Oh that..what about it?"
"Oooh never mind." Ginger said irritably. She put her brush down and slipped into her bed and Mary Ann shrugged heading to her own bed.
Ginger laid back smiling. He had to think she was beautiful. He had to! The movie star thought about all the ways she could get the whole truth out of him when something occurred to her. The Vitamin C deficiency. It was going to affect everyone. Largest to small. It already got the Skipper. Mr. Howell was next and then…Her Professor!
Tears came to Ginger's eyes. Yes they had planted those seeds so the trees would grow but that would take a long time.
In the meantime she could lose her beloved Professor! She couldn't stand the thought! To be helpless to do anything to help him. No No it couldn't happen!
Ginger remembered he was outside watching over the soil to make sure the torches stayed lit. She looked over and saw Mary Ann had closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Ginger threw back her covers and crept out of her bed. She walked to the door slowly opening it and walking out.
The movie star walked to the dining table seeing the Professor sitting there with a blanket. It was an unusually cold night on the island. Ginger only had her orange bedsheet nightgown on but didn't notice the cold. Her focus was on the Professor.
She approached him and he looked up at her. Upon seeing her in that orange nightgown, the blood left his brain. He couldn't control it no matter how much he wished to. "Ginger." He said clutching the blanket. "What brings you out here?"
"Oh I was um…I was worried about you." She said as she sat down next to him.
"Worried about me?" He asked trying not to look anywhere but her face.
"Being out here all alone…it being such a cold night…I didn't want you to freeze."
Before he knew what was happening, Ginger lifted the blanket and climbed on his lap and then pulled the blanket back around them.
"Ginger what are you…"
"I'm keeping you warm." She said to him with a smile. "You once said that body heat was an excellent way to keep a person warm." She snuggled closer to him wrapping her arms around him.
He gulped not knowing what to do. On the one hand, Ginger was correct. Body heat was a good tool to keep a person warm. On the other hand, Ginger was on his lap increasing his temperature to the point where he didn't need this darn blanket any longer.
"Yes that is true Ginger but…"
"You do so much for us on this island." She said in her breathy voice. "I just wanted to do something for you." She gently rested her head against him her eyes cast down.
He swallowed again. It was really getting hot under this blanket.
"I appreciate that Ginger but you needn't…"
"Oh please Professor… let me." She said snuggling closer which only caused him to feel more sweaty. "I want to do what I can to help you." Her finger traced the collar of his shirt. The Professor's temperature shot up another degree. He was certain that he was going to end up suffocating.
"When you said this will affect us all…and how after Mr. Howell…it would get to you…I couldn't allow that to happen. I need you around."
The Professor was very close to telling Ginger he was going to die from the heat he was feeling if she didn't cease breathing on his neck. He then noticed that she said "I" instead of "We." I need you around. Not We need you around.
"If you go, who is going to take care of me?" She asked with a slight pout.
"Ginger…" He started but his voice faded as her hand had slid inside his shirt and was touching his chest.
"All the other men leer at me. Well except for Gilligan. He's just a boy…but the Skipper and Mr. Howell…I see their looks. Especially the Skipper. I need you to protect me."
The Professor too flustered and tongue tied to explain to Ginger that the Skipper and Mr. Howell would have gone before he did. His brain could not move past how wonderful her touch was. "Um….I'm sure the Skipper….I mean Ginger the Skipper would be….I…"
Ginger smiled and wrapped both arms around him and the Professor was slightly relieved her hand was no longer on his chest but at the same time wishing it was back there. He had no idea what was going on. He was starting to believe this was just a dream and he would wake up any minute.
That idea was squashed when Gilligan arrived. The sailor was perplexed to see Ginger wrapped up against the Professor. "What is going on?" He asked.
"I'm keeping him warm with my body heat." Ginger explained with a smile.
"She's keeping me warm with her body heat." The Professor stated. He finally summoned the strength to remove the movie star from his lap. The Professor felt a rush of relief from the cool night air.
He gave Gilligan the instructions regarding the torches and bid him a good-night.
"Good night Professor." Ginger said to him in her breathy voice.
"Good night Ginger." replied a confused and bewildered Professor.
The academic headed back to his hut and stepped inside shutting the door behind him. He found some water he had and downed a few glasses to hydrate himself. What Ginger's actions were all about he had the faintest idea and the things she had said…How she needed him to protect her. She wouldn't have anyone to take care of her if something happened to him. Figuring out what she meant by all this was too tiring at the moment.
He shook his head and climbed into his bed going to sleep.
The Next Day
Everyone was joyous at the discovery of the other citrus trees on the island.
This meant they would be okay. However the Professor said they needed to be careful and conserve the fruit.
The temperature had increased from the night before. It was a hotter than usual day.
The Professor was working on developing a system to ensure that the fruit would stay fresh as long as possible.
Ginger sauntered up him holding a glass in her head. "Hello Professor." She smiled at him.
"Ginger." He said vowing not to look at her. Focus on your work. Focus on your work. The Professor instructed himself.
"I brought you some lemonade." She said holding out the drink. "I thought you could use something cold to drink."
"Why thank you Ginger." He said taking the glass.
"I made it myself." The movie star said proudly.
The Professor smiled to himself. Ginger wasn't the best cook on the island but she always tried her best.
The others would joke about her cooking but the Professor thought it was rude. At least she was trying.
It was more than he could say for at least four of them. He didn't see Mr. Howell or Mrs. Howell cooking. The Skipper didn't bother much with preparing meals and Gilligan never volunteered.
Ginger didn't want to stick Mary Ann with all the cooking. So she would take over some nights. It wasn't that her food was awful. He managed to eat it just fine.
The Professor took a sip of Ginger's lemonade. It was refreshing and had the right amount of sweetness. Kind of like Ginger herself. He shook his head at the last thought.
"It's delicious Ginger. Thank you."
Ginger smiled. "I'm so glad." She said. "I was worried I would get it wrong. I know what everyone thinks of my cooking."
"Ginger your cooking is just fine." The Professor assured taking another sip of lemonade.
"Thank you Professor. I'm glad you like the lemonade. I want to make sure you getting plenty of Vitamin C."
Ginger placed her hands on his shoulders. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to my Professor." She said smiling peering at him through her eyelashes.
My Professor? He thought to himself. He picked up the glass again taking a big swig.
"You are too important for me to lose you." She said as she inched closer.
"Um Ginger…..I need to get back to…I have to finish…I mean I need to keep working.."
"I understand." Ginger said. "I'll see you later." She kissed his cheek before turning to leave swaying her hips.
The Professor looked at the table forgetting what it was he was working on.
Why Ginger was all of a sudden paying attention to him like this he didn't quite understand. He cleared his mind and went back to the project at hand.
Ginger sat back in a chair watching him with admiration. He was so handsome. And strong.
She could see the muscles through that shirt. Everything about him she loved. His intellect for one thing. She found all his scientific musings to be fascinating. Ginger knew she was alone in that department but she didn't care.
There was so much she learned from him. Knew what berries were good for eating. Which were poisonous. Told her about what flowers would be the most fragrant and which ones would not last as long. Even gave her helpful tips to keep the ones she picked, fresher longer.
Ginger even learned how to make her own skin products from the coconuts and fruit of the island. Sometimes he would let that guard down and play up how heroic he could be.
She remembered exactly when he had caught that bat that had been flying around their hut.
There was more to him then met the eye. Ginger was attracted to him when they were on the Minnow. More attracted when they were first stranded and then fell completely in love with him the longer they remained on the island.
When he made that remark to her…she didn't look like she was suffering from a deficiency of anything…it made her heart soar. Maybe it was silly to get her hopes up over a little remark but she didn't care. It meant something to her.
He meant something to her. More than she could imagine.
If they hadn't found those citrus trees and something happened to him, she could not bear the thought. The Professor was the only man she cared so deeply for in her life. She needed to find a way to make him hers.