Gilligan was getting tired. He had searched the lagoon about three hundred times looking for the cables. He was being punished for foiling yet another rescue attempt. Gilligan really didn't find this to be fair, for he didn't know that the cables would be dragged into the lagoon. It was about ninety-five degrees outside, with the sun bearing down on him. He was starting to lose his breath. Who knows how long he was in the water, searching? The others had went back to camp to eat lunch. Gilligan asked Skipper when he would be done, and Skipper told him he would continue to look until he (Skipper) told him otherwise.
Finally, Gilligan couldn't handle it anymore. He was running out of breath, he was thirsty and hungry, and he felt light-headed.
"Gilligan! You better be looking and not lazying!"
The Skipper had just walked back to make sure Gilligan was still working. He had just finished lunch. Gilligan couldn't talk, he was so dizzy. Finally, he just collapsed into the water.
"GILLIGAN! LITTLE BUDDY!"
Skipper dove into the water, and swam to help his little buddy. Once he reached him, he carried him back onto the beach, and lay him in the nice, warm sand.
"PROFESSOR! EVERYBODY!"
Everybody came running to see what was going on, and all gasped in horror at seeing Gilligan passed out on the beach.
"Oh, Skipper, what's happened?"
"I overworked him, Mary Ann, that's what happened. Oh, my poor little buddy."
Professor bent down next to Gilligan to give him mouth to mouth. After a minute or so, Gilligan coughed up water and sat up. Skipper was trained to give mouth to mouth, but Professor decided to do it for him, since Skipper looked to be on the verge of tears.
"Gilligan, little buddy, are you alright?"
"I'm- I'm fine, Skipper. What- what happened?"
"I overworked you. I was way too hard on you. I'm so sorry, little buddy."
It all came back to Gilligan now. The telephone cables. The storm. The cables going into the lagoon. Skipper forcing Gilligan to search all day for them. Before Gilligan could say anything, he quickly put a hand to his forehead. He had a splitting headache.
"Skipper, I-I don't feel too good."
Skipper, Professor, and the others helped Gilligan to the hut and put him into his hammock.
"Just rest, little buddy, and we'll wake you up for dinner. Here, drink this water."
Skipper handed Gilligan a cup of water. Gilligan took it eagerly to drink.
"Sip it, Gilligan, don't guzzle it. You'll be sick."
"Okay, Professor."
Gilligan handed the cup back to Skipper. Professor looked at the others.
"Come on, everyone. Gilligan needs some rest. Let's leave him alone."
"I'll be out in a minute, Professor."
Professor nodded and left the hut with the others. Skipper placed a gentle hand on Gilligan's shoulder.
"I am so sorry, little buddy. I didn't mean to make you sick."
Gilligan's head was turned away from Skipper.
"Little buddy, please speak to me."
"I'm tired, Skipper. I just want to sleep right now, okay?"
Skipper nodded sadly, and left Gilligan to rest. He went outside to find the others sitting at the table they ate their meals on.
"How's he doing, Skipper?"
"Oh, Ginger, he won't even look at me. I didn't mean to hurt him! I was just trying to punish him a little."
Mary Ann was glaring daggers at the Skipper. "I was mad at him, too, Skipper, but even I wouldn't have punished Gilligan as badly as you did. You know sometimes you can be a real monster!"
Mary Ann stormed off to her hut. Skipper was wide-eyed. That was the first time Mary Ann had ever spoken to him like that. Skipper looked at the others.
"You all know I would never do anything to hurt him, don't you?"
Nobody said anything.
"Oh, come on! Sure, I punish him sometimes, but I didn't think-"
"It's alright, Skipper," Professor said, showing the captain mercy. "We all know you love Gilligan like a son, and don't mean to be so hard on him. It just comes out. We were mad at him, too, and made him search the lagoon as well."
"Yes, but Professor, after about the seventieth time, you probably would have told him to quit. I was going to make him work until dinner time. Shows what kind of person I am."
The others could tell that Skipper was really feeling bad about what he did, and they knew he should be, for if Gilligan had drowned it would be his fault, but they didn't have the heart to tell him, for who knows how the Skipper would react to that?
"I do nothing but take my frustrations out on that poor kid. I've done it for a long time, and he always stood by my side. I said something to him a long time ago that I've regretted since I said it, but never had the heart to apologize for it."
"What's that, Skipper?"
"Remember how I told you all how he saved my life?"
Everybody nodded yes.
"Well, a few months ago, I told him he didn't save my life, just prolonged it. I do nothing but put him down. After all, he was just trying to help. That's all he ever tries to do."
This gave Professor an idea. "Skipper! I've just figured it out."
They all looked at him in confusion, but then again, the Professor always did have a tendency to confuse everybody.
"Let me explain. What I've figured out is the reason why Gilligan goofs up. See, Skipper, he looks up to you. Wants to be like you. His problem is he tries too hard. Way too hard to impress you, as well as everybody else he cares about. He has no confidence in himself."
"Gee, Professor, thanks. That certainly made me feel a lot better," Skipper replied, sarcastically.
"No, not because of you, Skipper. Gilligan's told me stories about times he's messed up even when he was a little boy. Deep down, it's because he tries too hard. Don't you understand?"
The Skipper realized what Professor was saying, and felt a little bit better. Granted, he still felt guilty about taking his frustrations out on Gilligan, but hopefully soon, his little buddy would forgive him.
Mr. Howell shrugged. "Every egghead has to diagnose everything."
Before Professor could say anything to Mr. Howell, Mary Ann came walking back to the table.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Skipper. I was too harsh."
"No, you weren't, Mary Ann. You were right. I'm going to go try and talk to him. He's been asleep for about a half hour. He should be fine now."
Skipper went into the hut and walked over to Gilligan who was slowing starting to stir.
"Are you feeling any better, Gilligan?"
"A little. Just tired is all."
"Little buddy, I am so sorry. Believe me- I- I wasn't thinking. I was just mad, but I went way too far this time. I promise to never make you do anything like that again no matter how mad I get."
Gilligan could tell that the Skipper's apology was sincere. He knew that Skipper had a big heart under that rough exterior, and would do anything to keep him and the others safe.
"It's alright, Skipper. I'm sorry I goofed up again."
"You didn't goof up, Gilligan. It was an accident. I'm also sorry about the time I told you you didn't save my life, just prolonged it. That was a terrible thing to say, and I'm really sorry."
Gilligan actually smiled. "I actually thought it was kind of funny, Skipper. I knew you didn't mean it."
"You thought it was funny?"
"Just the way you said it was funny."
They both started to laugh. It felt kind of good. Finally, they stopped.
"You hungry, little buddy?"
" Very."
"Well, come on. I'll help you to the table. Mary Ann's probably baking you a coconut cream pie right now."
Gilligan definitely felt better now. He was still a little dizzy and tired, but once he ate something, he knew he'd be okay. He had been mad at Skipper at first, but was able to think about things before falling asleep. Gilligan knew how the others really felt about him. Sure there were days he would get in moods and think the others didn't really care about him, but that had been proven false on a number of occasions.
Gilligan sat at the table and was served scrambled eggs, some fruit, pineapple juice, and as Skipper had predicted, Mary Ann's coconut cream pie. They all apologized for being rough on him, too, but he told them it was okay, and blushed a deep red when Mary Ann winked at him.
Oh, yes, this rotten day just got a whole lot better, indeed.
THE END