What if anything can I do about this? A villager picked up my last gong pieace, she droped it half way to the gong because she was sick. Do I have to start from the begining? ALL those hours for nothing!!!

I am so keeping my fingers crossed for you... Sorry this happened... Maybe you won't have to start over...

Close your game, and then open it up again. The dropped item should be back on it's usual place, waiting to be picked up again.

just put the totem back in the center, it'll reappear for someone else to grab. I thought I'd be sick when mine dropped it and I couldn't find it.