NoV: I didn't even realize it until today, but this is my 75th fic! (throws confetti) Yay me!

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The Skipper and Gilligan traipsed heavily across the deck. The force of the wind was worse than it had been only minutes earlier, for now they were in the full might of Hurricane Leila.

Gilligan had latched his hands onto the Skipper's belt, following closely behind the larger fellow. He gripped the leather belt tightly, fearing that if he were to let go, he may be blown away. The Skipper was steadily taking one small step at a time, trudging slowly across the slippery floor.

"Gilligan!" he called as loud as his throat would allow. The wind, rain and lightning created a sort of abyss, where sound traveled only faintly and breathing was now a most difficult undertaking. "We've got to hope that there's a lifeboat left over there. If not, there's little chance that we're gonna get off of this ship."

Gilligan merely nodded, concentrating solely on not becoming airborne.

Below the deck, the water had risen to the top of the ceiling, and was slipping through cracks in the doors to flow into the hallways. Soon, the ship would be so far underwater that the seawater would flood over the tops of the deck, bringing the whole thing down.

The Skipper stood aghast when he made it to the side of the ship. He gripped the railing and stared into the face of the mighty storm. The clouds on the horizon formed a black blanket that stretched out over the ship and on into the sea. The water was ripped into a torrent of angry waves and forceful blows against the worm vessel. No lifeboats remained.

Skipper turned to face Gilligan, shaking his head in worry. "There's no rafts left, Gilligan!" he shouted to the boy. "Let's try and make it back to the cabin! There are some life jackets in there! It's better than nothing!"

Before the Skipper could begin to trudge back toward the cabin of the doomed ship, Gilligan stopped him. "Wait Skipper!" he exclaimed, pointing off into the ocean. "Look!"

The Skipper turned his head, squinting his eyes and looking into the distance. A beacon of optimism shone through the bleakness of the storm. A small, motored coastguard's boat was slowly skimming toward the doomed S.S. Gillis.

The Skipper's face turned from squinty to rhapsody. "We're saved, Gilligan, WE'RE SAVED!" he cried, nearly jumping for joy.

Gilligan did jump, and when he landed, slipped down on the water.

"Gilligan, would you quit horsing around?" Skipper asked, helping him up.

"Sorry, Skipper, I was excited!" Gilligan said loudly.

The benevolent coastguard pulled his boat next to the Skipper's ship. "I received an SOS. You guys need some help?" he called to them.

"YES!" the two men yelled back.

The coastguard shimmied his small vessel as close as he could get it to the ship. He was close to the same level as the deck of the S.S. Gillis, and in a matter of minutes, he would be above it. "Get on quickly!" he instructed.

"Go ahead, Gilligan!" the Skipper commanded, gesturing for the lad to go first.

Gilligan refused, saying, "No, Skipper, you go first!"

"Gilligan, this is no time to argue!" the Skipper argued. "I order you to get on that boat!"

"But, Skipper—"

"No buts! Move it!" the Skipper bellowed.

Gilligan saluted, and tried balancing himself to have one foot on the sinking Gillis and one on the coastguard's rescue boat, without success, of course. The Skipper watched, exasperated, as the clumsy kid pushed the coastguard's boat further away while trying to mount it. Soon, one leg was way out to sea, and the other was still hanging onto to the Gillis.

"Gilligan, be careful!" the Skipper yelled, just before the strain on Gilligan's legs became too much and he plopped down in the water between the Gillis and the rescue boat.

The Skipper stood, mouth agape for a couple of seconds. When Gilligan's hat floated up to the top, with no Gilligan under it, he dove into the raging sea. Though the salty water stung his eyes and the deadly current tried to tear his body in all different directions, the Skipper reached his protégé in only a few seconds.

The coastguard scanned the surface of the water, fearing the worst before the Skipper, followed closely by Gilligan, appeared. The coastguard reached in, grabbing Gilligan by the collar, and pulled him up onto the boat. The Skipper lifted himself up moments later.

As the coastguard radioed his station and began to skim around the full front of the storm, Gilligan looked heavily at the Skipper. He coughed once, and said, "Thank you, Skipper. You saved my life!"

The Skipper wrung the water out of his hat. "Don't mention it, Little Buddy."

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NoV: Yay! Chapter five! What'd you think?