2

The Professor found her sitting on a rock crying. The basket she made had everyone's clothes folded up neatly inside. He quickened his pace as he noticed her upset. "Mary Ann...Mary Ann, are you alright?" He put his hand on her shoulder as he squatted down in front of her, looking her over to see if she were injured.

She wiped the tears away quickly and said, "Yes, I'm fine, really." She started to get up, but got dizzy for a second. The Professor caught her as she stumbled.

He was immediately concerned, "Mary Ann, I can most definitely see that you are not fine. Are you sure you didn't have any adverse reaction to that mint you consumed?"

She shook her head as she held on to his arms, leading her to sit back on the rock. She told him, "No, its not the mint. It's just...its just..." she started to cry again.

This time the Professor wrapped his arm around her shoulder and patted her other arm. Then he asked, "Its just what, Mary Ann?"

She pulled back and answered, "Its just that the mint reminded me of home. My Mom used to make this hot mint pineapple juice drink for me when I was sick. When I saw it there yesterday, I wasn't even thinking of her or home. I was just glad I found it. But today, when I could smell the pineapple and the mint, I..." She started crying again.

The Professor understood and holding her again said, "Ah yes, mint is one of the seven types of sensations that smell receptors are sensitive to." Mary Ann looked confused so he explained, "What I mean is, mint is one of the stronger smells and since you have associated that particular smell and pineapple with a memory or time in your life, its only natural that your brain would remind you of that time when you smelt it." She seemed to be nodding and he rubbed her back and told her, "The memories can come on rather strongly though."

She pulled back and wiped her eyes again and said, "Its silly I know and there's so much work to do..." She started to get up again but got dizzy, again.

The Professor was even more concerned now and asked her, "Mary Ann, just when did you get up this morning?"

She sat back down again with his help and answered, "Just before the sun did, why?"

He nodded his head and said, "And if I recall correctly, you said something about having to clean up as everyone was going to bed last night, well past 11. Am I correct?"

She nodded and said, "If you say so, I don't really remember what time it was. I needed to clean up the plates so we would have them this morning and then there was the pot I was drying..."

The Professor took a deep breath and told her, "I think you need to go lie down and take a nap."

She started to protest but he insisted. "Mary Ann, you're exhausted. You've been running around this island keeping us fed and cleaning up after us for a while now. I've noticed Ginger doesn't help you out like she used to. The human body can only go for so long and you need to give your body some time to recuperate."

She didn't know if it was the work that had tired her out or the emotional exhaustion she seemed to feel as she grew so homesick so fast. So she agreed. He told her to slowly stand up. She did and he put his arm around her as they cautiously made their way back to her hut. He told her again to lay down and that he would come wake her up in a couple of hours, but to do nothing until he got back. He told her not to worry about anything before he left.

After leaving her hut he ran into Gilligan. "Hey Professor, just getting some more line and another net. Skipper says we need to catch 7 fish per person per day...or was that 1 fish per person per day or maybe it was 5..." he appeared to be counting on his hand trying hard to remember whatever formula the Skipper came up with.

The Professor started into the supply hut as Gilligan followed and said, "I'm sure whatever formula the Skipper has will be fine. Tell him I envisage our needing about two weeks worth of fish."

Gilligan asked, "You envisage...what?"

The Professor turned around after clamping on some equipment and taking a map with him answered, "I foresee us needing about two weeks worth of fish if a hurricane comes our way."

Gilligan seemed to process that and said, "Oh, ok professor. Whatever you say. You're the one that can foresee. I'll tell the Skipper."

"Oh and Gilligan...I think Mary Ann left a basket with our clothes in it down at the lagoon. Would you go get them and bring them here first?" The Professor asked knowing the basket was down there and not wanting Mary Ann to have to redo them.

"Sure thing!" Gilligan said. He took off with the supplies as the Professor smiled and then started out.

About two hours later Mary Ann woke up. She could hear the Howells grumbling and maybe even Ginger grumbling.

"Oh dear...my beautiful shawl...gone...lost forever trying to pull down vines!" Mrs. Howell cried out.

Mr. Howell tried to comfort her, "Now, now dear. You mustn't fret now. Its so middle class to worry about such things. When we get back I'll buy you a whole store full of them. No, I'll buy you the whole store itself!" He patted her back and walked her to their hut.

Ginger came in dragging into her's and Mary Ann's hut. "I'm beat! I don't know how many vines I pulled and now the Professor wants me to pack up supplies. I can't do it, Mary Ann. I simply can't!" She feel on the bed practically as if she had rehearsed it for a movie earlier in her career. The scene appeared perfect, right down to the back of her hand falling softly on her forehead as she landed.

Mary Ann sat up and thought to herself, 'Break time is over.' She told Ginger, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. I need to get lunch started anyway. I'll pack up a few of the supplies while the stew cooks with the herbs the Professor found the other day."

Ginger was almost asleep it appeared when she muttered out, "Oh thank you Mary Ann. You really are a life saver."

Mary Ann smiled and then headed out. She did feel better but was also embarrassed that the Professor had to practically carry her back to the hut. Having grown up on a farm she knew when a person became a weak link and she didn't want to be that person. No, she was the one they needed and depended on. How would they feed themselves if she weren't around? Or would their laundry or dishes ever get cleaned? No, she needed to do something to strengthen her stamina and endurance. She had an idea as to just how to go about doing that too.

Perhaps her best kept secret, better than the mint was the fact that she found coffee beans growing down by the lagoon. Now she was no expert on coffee beans the way she was with mint, but they were bitter and certainly didn't taste like chocolate. Her greatest proof was the burst of energy she got when she ate one the other day. Her plan had been to surprise everyone once again after coyly asking the professor about the production of coffee so she could figure out how to make it into the drink everyone had expressed that they loved the other night of the anniversary when they were all sharing what they missed most. She was ecstatic when she found it. She only needed more time to figure out how to prepare it.

In the meantime, that burst of energy was exactly what she needed and she headed off in that direction to go get it.

The Professor made his way around the lush inland jungle with his map. Given that they had lived there for so long, they pretty much knew the general layout of the island, even if they hadn't explored every inch. He was pretty sure the caves just ahead of him provided the best cover in a hurricane. They faced the east which would provide the cover they needed given that any storm would emerge from the west as the other storms had done. He found one that was absolutely perfect and from its height, he could see what appeared to be a stream, a fresh source of water.

As he made his way down to the water, he barely noticed a branch scratching his side. It hurt, but he paid little attention and was unaware that it had broken the skin. After making his way to the water source, he put down his bag and bent down but slipped and fell in.

"Great, well at least I know how Gilligan feels sometimes." He chuckled to himself and then pulled his body out of the water. After eating a quick banana he had packed, he headed back to the campsite.

By the time he got back, he started feeling achy but shrugged it off as there was much work to be done. He needed to check and catalog his barometer reading and then check on the progress of all the castaways, especially Mary Ann.

He had hoped no one had woken her and that she had awaken on her own. He had reasonably concluded that since her body was telling her to slow down and rest, it would naturally let her know when she had received enough. He expected to find her up and about when he got back but not going at the pace she was as he entered the camp.

Mary Ann practically jogged past him to get to the pot to stir it again. She had to sit down some vines on the ground close to the table before stirring though, which she did quickly. Then she quickly picked the vines back up and started to wind them around her hand at a very fast rate walking to the supply hut, tied the ends and tossed it in.

She started back quickly to the pot again when the Professor grabbed her arm to stop her. "Mary Ann, slow down. I take it you feel better?" He asked surprised at her energy.

She answered, "Yes, yes, yes. Much, much, much better." Mary Ann said with a smile and then turned back to the stew.

The Professor was startled and started to say something when Gilligan came running around the table being chased by the Skipper who was drenched. "Now come here Little Buddy! I just want to have a word with you."

Gilligan hid behind the Professor, "Oh no you don't...you want to hit me with that hat of yours because my fishing line got tangled in yours and we both thought we caught a fish but caught each other."

The Skipper walked over slowly to the Professor as if he were a lion stalking the prey that was Gilligan and said, "But only one of us ended up swimming like a fish." He reached out and whacked Gilligan over the head as he tried to run past the Professor and around the Skipper.

The Professor shouted, "Now hold on! We have too much to do to prepare for a hurricane to be engaging in this tomfoolery!"

Both the Skipper and Gilligan seemed to calm down and looked at him before Mary Ann announced that dinner was ready.