Gilligan was depressed. Another rescue was foiled, because of him. He never did these things on purpose. He just wanted so badly to help. As usual, the others yelled at him, and Skipper made him look in the lagoon for the telephone poles. Out of all of them, Skipper was the hardest on him. He remembered the time that all of those feathers were in the supply hut, and Skipper made him wear them and act like a bird all day because he broke that device with the camera. It was humiliating.
Gilligan was tired of being everybody's whipping boy. Ginger even wrote down all of the stupid things he's done since they've been on the island. Nobody was perfect. Not even the gorgeous movie star. Yes, she was attractive, but everyone acted like she was the best thing since sliced bread. Gilligan could name all of the times that they were all mean to him. Sometimes for no good reason. Gilligan could just say hi, and they would be putting him down. It was getting to be too much. All he did was screw up, and it was obvious that the others didn't really care about him, so he knew what he had to do. Gilligan had been all over this island, and knew that it had to be done. The others would be a lot better off. Making his decision, Gilligan got up out of his hammock, being careful not to wake Skipper, and wrote a note. He took one last look at his best friend, or rather, ex best friend, since Skipper wasn't talking to him after that incident with the telephone poles.
The next morning, Skipper got up at his usual time and was surprised to see that Gilligan wasn't up on his hammock. Not that he cared, but he was shocked. He got up, stretched, and put his captain's hat on, and was about to walk out of the hut when he saw the note. He picked it up to read it.
Dear Skipper, Professor, Mr. Howell, Mrs. Howell, Ginger, and Mary Ann, again I have messed up. I didn't do it on purprose. I was just trying to help. I'm no good. You all don't like me, anyway. So I'm going to end it all. It was nice knowing you guys.
Gilligan
Skipper's eyes about popped out of his head at reading this. He quickly ran to show the note to the Professor. Soon, the Castaways were on the search for Gilligan. Ginger and Mary Ann of course, took the news the hardest, and had mascara running down their cheeks as they looked for him. Once they found him, they were going to kiss him and hug him and squeeze him, and never let him go. Skipper was going to take him fishing. Mr. Howell, of course, called out for Gilligan, holding out thousand dollar bills.
"Gilligan, my boy! This is cash!"
Skipper rolled his eyes. "Mr. Howell, be serious! Our little buddy is planning on hurting himself."
"How dare you speak to me that way, Captain?"
"You listen here, Howell!"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!"
It was the Professor who spoke up.
"This is no time for petty arguments. We need to find Gilligan."
All of the Castaways continued their search, and looked all over and couldn't find him. There was only one place left, and that was the cliff. Oh, no.
Skipper told the others to go back, and he was going to find Gilligan and bring him back. The others reluctantly agreed, and Skipper went to the cliff. Gilligan was there, but he wasn't trying to jump off the cliff. He was sitting on a tree stump, working on something.
"Gilligan, little buddy! What are you doing?"
"Oh, hi, Skipper. I don't want to jump off the cliff. My luck, I wouldn't drown. I'm a good swimmer. So, I'm making a noose, instead."
Skipper ripped the noose out of Gilligan's hand and threw it over the edge of the cliff.
"Gilligan, I am not about to let you kill yourself! For goodness sakes! What's wrong with you?"
"Skipper, I know your captain and everything, but I know how you all really feel about me. You hate me. We've been shipwrecked a long time, and I'm always the one that messes everything up. I don't blame you guys for hating me. I thought I would be doing you all a favor."
Hearing those words broke Skipper's heart. Yes, he knew he was rough on Gilligan, but that didn't mean he didn't care about him.
"Gilligan, you're my little buddy. Yes, I get mad at you, but I'm not perfect, either. Nobody is. We know you just try to help. Why do you think we always forgive you when you mess up? People get mad, Gilligan. People say mean things when they're mad. We all care very much about you and want you to come back. The girls are sick with worry. Harming yourself is the last thing we'd want you to do. Nothing is worth doing that!"
Gilligan hung his head and sighed.
"Skipper, you may not be perfect, but you're close enough."
Skipper blushed at his little buddy's words. It felt like all Gilligan did was compliment him, and all Skipper ever did to Gilligan was insult him. Well, except for the occasional fat joke, but that was nothing, really.
"Gilligan, you're not so bad yourself. Will you make me a promise?"
"Anything, Skipper."
"Promise me that no matter how many times we may get mad at you, that you will know that we'll always forgive you."
"I promise."
"Promise me that you'll never try to kill yourself again."
"I promise."
"Good. Now come on. Let's get back to the others."
Skipper walked the whole way with his arm around Gilligan, and they walked up to the others who were sitting at the table, worrying.
"Hey, everybody! Look who's back!"
Everybody jumped up and ran to Gilligan, giving him hugs and kisses.
"Gilligan, I am so sorry!"
Gilligan looked at Ginger in confusion.
"What are you sorry about?"
"What I wrote about you. I thought it was going to be funny. I had no idea the words would hurt you."
"Ginger, the words didn't hurt me. What you wrote did."
The others just shook this comment off. Mary Ann took Gilligan's hand in her own.
"Gilligan, would you like me to bake you a pie?"
"Coconut cream?"
"Whatever you want."
"Thanks, Mary Ann."
He felt better. The Skipper was right. He couldn't try to kill himself or run away every time the others got mad at him. Mistakes happened. They would all get rescued some day, he just knew it. But for right now, he needed to be happy. Happy to be alive, and happy that he had friends who would always have his back.
THE END