It was mid-morning and the Professor was hard at work in his hut. That is, he was hard at work, trying to look busy. He sat at his bamboo-style desk with a textbook and notepad in front of him, and he was attempting to make some notes on a rare venomous spider. But he was having trouble focusing on the words he saw. The truth was, his mind was on a certain brunette that lived on the island.

He'd never been able to pinpoint exactly when his feelings for Mary Ann had begun. All he knew was that he'd awakened one morning with her on his mind, and she was still there. Not that he was complaining, mind you. He enjoyed every moment he spent with her, and he often wondered when he might catch a few minutes alone with her.

But no matter how much he cared for her, there was no getting around the awkwardness he felt in the presence of a female. There had been times he'd wanted to tell Mary Ann how he felt, but the moment he saw her, he would begin spouting off scientific facts instead.

The Professor's quiet reverie was broken by the sound of Gilligan yelling his name. He quickly exited his hut and was greeted by the sight of Mary Ann hopping alongside Gilligan, an arm wrapped around his waist for support.

Oh god, what's Gilligan done now?

"What on earth happened to you?" he asked.

"We went out to catch butterflies," Mary Ann began. "Silly me, I wasn't watching where I was going - "

"And she tripped over me," Gilligan interrupted. "See, my shoelaces had come undone, so I bent down to tie them, and—"

"And by the time I stopped rolling, I had done something to my ankle," Mary Ann finished. "Will you take a look at it, Professor?"

"Can you put any pressure on it?"

"Some, but it hurts."

The Professor nodded as he carefully lifted Mary Ann into his arms and carried her into his hut.

xXxXx

Mary Ann wrapped her arms around the Professor's neck and tried not to stare into his eyes. It was hard, though; they were such a beautiful blue, and she loved how expressive they could be. She thought maybe his eyes were his best feature.

Or it could be his smile. Whoever had come up with the phrase "it lights up the room" had clearly seen the Professor's grin. It was so contagious, and her heart would melt everytime she saw it.

It occurred to Mary Ann that she was glad Gilligan hadn't warned her before stooping to tie his shoe. It was true that she should have been watching, but the fact of the matter was, she hadn't been. So here she was, eye level with the one person that took her breath away.

The Professor placed her in the chair by his desk, then knelt down to examine her ankle. It was the first time she'd gotten a good look at it herself: a goose egg had already formed, and a bruise was beginning to surface.

Is that really my ankle? Ouch…oh, I hope the Professor didn't see that face I just made. It wouldn't do to have him think I'm in a lot of pain.

"Mary Ann, I believe you've sprained your ankle. In order for it to heal properly, you'll have to stay off your feet as much as possible, and—"

"Oh, but what about fixing meals, Professor? That's my job, remember?"

"Well, consider this a vacation—doctor's orders. Ordinarily, I'd tell you to prop your leg up and keep ice on that ankle, but since we're not exactly surrounded by ice"—there was that smile—"I guess the next best thing is to soak it in the shallow end of the lagoon for a while."

"But the water's so cold this time of year," she complained.

"It won't be for long; don't worry," the Professor reassured her. "Ready? Up we go."

With that, Mary Ann once again found herself being scooped up in the Professor's arms.

xXxXx

The Professor knew that with proper care, Mary Ann's ankle would be as good as knew in a couple weeks. He also knew that no matter how much she complained, she's follow his instructions because that's the kind of girl she was. But there was no way he could make himself stop worrying about her. He hated that she'd gotten hurt, and wished there was something he could do to take the pain away.

There is, Hinkley. Set her down at the edge of the lagoon, close enough that her ankle can soak in the water.

He shook his head in silent wonder over how such close proximity to Mary Ann affected his ability to think straight.

The Professor lowered her to the ground and knelt beside her already submerged foot.

"How does that feel?" he wanted to know.

Mary Ann shivered in response. "Cold. But I guess maybe my ankle feels a little better."

"Good. Now, you'll have to do this several times a day until the swelling goes down. And you've got to make sure you stay off of it."

"For how long?" she inquired.

"As much as possible for the next three or four, maybe five, days. After that, you'll probably be able to gradually resume your normal schedule. But check with me first."

xXxXx

Absolutely. Anything you say.

Mary Ann had to keep herself from saying that out loud.

"Thanks for looking at my ankle, Professor. I really appreciate it."

She smiled at him, and he returned it.

"My pleasure. Ready to get your foot out of there?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

xXxXx

As the Professor lifted Mary Ann into his arms, she said, "It's interesting that with as warm as it stays here on the island, the water can get so cold."

The first thing that came to the Professor's mind was to offer her a blanket when they made it back to camp. But that's not what came out of his mouth. Instead he gave an explanation of the moon's stages and its effect on the ocean's tide and temperature.

Really, Hinkley? You have the girl of your dreams in your arms, and all you can talk about is the effect a full moon has on water?

More than anything, he wished he had the courage to comment on how beautiful her eyes were. However, he only asked where she wanted to be dropped off.

My hut, I guess," she replied. I'd like to rest on my bed for a while."

"Good idea. Is there anything I can get for you while I'm here?"

xXxXx

Mary Ann looked around the room as the Professor placed her on the bed.

"No, I don't think so. There's some knitting I've been meaning to get done, and I have everything I need right here."

"All right. I'll send Gilligan or the Skipper over a little later to take you back to the lagoon. Make sure you stay off your feet. If you need anything, holler. Somebody will come help you."

"Okay, Professor. Thanks."

xXxXx

His heart skipped a beat as Mary Ann offered him one of her sweet smiles.

"Anytime, Mary Ann."

With that, the Professor turned and started walking away.

What's the matter with you? Are you really going to leave without so much as a simple goodbye? The least you can do is offer to check on her later.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Mary Ann, I—"

She'd already picked up her knitting project, but she glanced up at him as she continued to work. "Yes, Professor?"

All of a sudden, his heart was in his throat. "Never mind."

As he made his way out of the hut, two words ran through his mind: You coward.