BACKSTORY: This story takes place a little bit after Miss Ericka Tiffany Smith left the island. Or so they thought...
Mary Ann knocked softly on the Professor's hut door. He was standing with his back to her, conducting some experiment with beakers. He half turned when he saw her.
"Mary Ann? Come in, what is it?" the Professor asked casually, setting aside his work. Mary Ann smiled wanly as she approached his counter.
"I just came by to see how you were. I know Miss Tiffany Smith's leaving was..." Mary Ann trailed off. But the Professor waved a hand dismissively at her.
"It was nothing. Really. Though I will confess that I do feel as if I let everyone down."
Mary Ann raised a brow.
"Let us down? In what way, Professor?"
"If I could've returned Miss Smith's feelings in a more decisive manner, maybe she would've remembered where we all were." he said glumly. Mary Ann touched his shoulder.
"None of this is your fault. I don't understand why people keep coming to this island, that are so threatened by us, that they can't take us with them." Mary Ann noted. "And it certainly isn't your fault you couldn't return that woman's feelings. I swear, I would never do that to anyone. Come to an island, sneak off and then not tell anyone about the people stranded there."
The Professor returned her wan smile.
"Well thank you, Mary Ann. But I honestly think the Skipper is going through the worst of it. He cared for Miss Smith more than I, and I sense he is at a loss as to why she didn't return his affections."
Mary Ann sensed that too, as did Ginger, who was determined to cheer the captain up. Mary Ann blew her bangs off of her forehead and closed a book the Professor had on his lab counter.
"Come with me!" she said, grabbing the Professor's hand. "A nice relaxing walk through the jungle is just what you need."
"Mary Ann, I don't have the time. I am working on a vitamin component that we can take, daily, that will serve as a substitute for the meat we are missing."
"Later, Professor! It will be here when we get back." Mary Ann insisted, pulling him off of his stool and out of the hut.
Ginger found the Skipper sitting on a boulder near the lagoon, by himself. She walked over and stood before him.
"Skipper, tell me you aren't out here sulking over that Tiffany Smith woman." Ginger scolded.
"Ginger, please, I need to be by myself."
"Why? She was in love with the Professor. There was nothing you could have done about it."
"If I could've made her look my way twice, then maybe she would've fallen in love with ME. Then maybe she would've remembered the way back here."
Ginger tossed her red hair!
"Oh poo, Skipper! That woman didn't care enough about any of us, to remember. And she was a fool for not seeing a real man when he's right in front of her."
The Skipper raised a brow.
"Really? Ginger, you don't have to just say that."
Ginger moved closer to the Skipper.
"I'm not just saying that, Skipper. It's true. You kept us alive during that storm on the Minnow. I find that extremely attractive." she whispered, reached down to put her arms around the Skipper's neck. His large hands were about to encircle her waist when...
Gilligan thrashed out out of the bushes with a fishing pole!
"Hey, Skipper! Hey, Ginger!"
The Skipper growled a greeting! He had forgotten Ericka Tiffany Smith alright! This gorgeous woman was right in front of him, offering herself when Gilligan ruined the moment!
Ginger backed out of the Skipper's reach and turned to face Gilligan.
"Catch a lot of fish for supper, Gilligan!" she called out. Gilligan nodded, threw the pole into the water and was about to settle back down on the sand to wait for a bite, when a glint of something, made him look in another direction.
A motor boat was floating their way.
"SKIPPER! GINGER!" Gilligan yelled. The Skipper and Ginger saw the boat and Skipper ran into the water, moved along side of it and pushed it towards land.
"Well get out here and help me, Gilligan!"
Gilligan jumped up, fish forgotten and waded out into the water. He got on the other side of the boat and together, they pushed it on to the sand. Ginger peered into it and saw luggage.
The initials on the suitcase read ETS.
"This is Ericka Tiffany Smith's boat!" Ginger exclaimed.
"What?" Gilligan asked. "How can that be? How did she get home if she didn't leave in this boat?"
The Skipper picked up the luggage. Yes, how indeed.
"You look better already, Professor." Mary Ann noted. The Professor smiled softly. Yes, he did feel better, though he suspected that walking through the jungle, something he did all the time, wasn't the real reason his mood had improved.
Mary Ann was. She was good at cheering up everyone on the island. She always had been. Even now, she had sensed that he needed some sort of change in his daily routine, just to forget the distaste of what had happened with their near rescue.
Mary Ann was talking about something that had happened in her hometown once, when a rustling nearby, caused them to stop in their tracks. The rustling was followed by a guttural, moaning sound.
The source of the noise revealed itself in a clearing.
It turned out to be Ericka Tiffany Smith!
No, it was but it wasn't...
"Professor!" Mary Ann breathed. Ms. Tiffany Smith looked...well...sick! And there was some red smear around her mouth! She looked...
Like she was rotting!
The Professor pushed against the small of Mary Ann's back and began running with her in the opposite direction!
"Run! Hurry!" he yelled.
When they returned to the huts, Thurston and Lovie were lying about, sipping drinks. They looked up in wonder.
"I dare say, Professor? Mary Ann? What is it?" Thurston asked.
"Where is the Skipper, Ginger and Gilligan?" the Professor asked tersely.
"Professor?" Mary Ann asked softly. "What was she?"
"Who?" Lovie asked, now confused.
"Mrs. Howell," the Professor began, "Mary Ann and I saw Ericka Tiffany Smith on this island. She looked unwell and I'm afraid whatever she has, may spread."
Lovie's mouth dropped open and Thurston set down his drink.
"Professor, we heard her talking from the mainland! You're saying she came back?"
"Maybe to rescue us?" Mary Ann offered.
"Maybe. Your guess is as good as mine. But this time she either maybe ingested something that caused her condition." the Professor surmised.
"PROFESSOR!" Skipper called out. He hurried into the area, followed by Gilligan and Ginger.
"What is it, Skipper?" the Professor asked tensely.
"We found Ericka Tiffany Smith's boat!" Gilligan cried out.
"Without her being anywhere around." Ginger smiled. She had never liked the woman anyway. "Skipper thinks there's enough fuel to..."
"We can't leave." Professor said firmly. "Mary Ann and I ran into Miss Smith. She has been infected with something that I doubt she will survive."
The Skipper flinched and it was clear that the idea of that woman wandering around on the island, unwell, bothered him. Ginger glanced at Mary Ann, who peeked over at the Professor. He didn't look so much upset, as he did worried.
"Professor," Ginger said, "if that woman is running around here infected, maybe that's all the more reason to take her boat and get out of here!"
"I agree with Ginger!" Gilligan exclaimed.
"So do we, don't we Lovie?" Thurston asked. But he needn't have bothered. She was nodding enthusiastically.
"Everyone, we cannot leave this island until we know how Miss Smith got in that condition. What if it's an airborne virus? That means we could return to civilization and infect others."
"What's airborne mean?" Gilligan asked Skipper. The Skipper ignored the question and nodded.
"The Professor is right. We need to make sure that we're not a danger to others. Did you see which direction Miss Smith went off in?" the Skipper asked.
"Yes. I think we need to get a hunting party together." the Professor said. "Skipper, Gilligan and I will go and find Miss Smith, subdue her and bring her back to my hut. I will find protective gear we can wear, in case she somehow tries to bite one of us."
Gilligan eyed Skipper, who looked just as uneasy.
"Uh, Professor, what kind of infection are we talking about? Why would Miss Smith 'bite' one of us?"
"She looked rabid. And in that state, anything is possible." the Professor confirmed. Gilligan gulped!
Things would get even more complicated.
A small spaceship landed in the lagoon. Inside, the alien race that looked very human, had been studying the castaways, and the island, for quite awhile. It had been decided that if someone among them, were to pose as one of the castaways, they could learn more about the island and humanity in general-but not under the glaring stare of a large number of humans.
The man of the alien race called The Raxonians, looked exactly like Gilligan. The door to the ship opened and 'Gilligan', walked across the water, naked, as if it were as solid as a sidewalk.
The first order of business was to rid himself of his lookalike.