"You've done some stupid things in the past, Zoe" Nick spat the words out "but this really takes the biscuit!"
They were in a small office at the back of the hospital, Zoe, Makul, Mayer and the American doctor sat around a small yellow formica table whilst Nick paced up and down.
"I'm sorry." Zoe whispered.
"What's the plan?" Meyer asked calmly, the twitching muscles of his jaw as he set his teeth belaying the underlying anger.
"I'll drive you back to India, the route we came was quite calm." Makul volunteered.
"And how to do expect to get through with us in the vehicle?" Nick questioned, anger flashing in his eyes. "Zoe may be able to pass for your wife, but even with a sun tan and a beard, we stand out as Westerners at anything less than a hundred yards." He shook his head and turned away, pacing the few strides to the wall and back again. "We'd all be shot before we got twenty miles from here. Do you have no understanding of the situation?" He directed the question at Makul.
"Things have changed since I was last in this province." Makul knew his excuse was feeble and that he should have thought things through more thoroughly before embarking on Zoe's foolhardy rescue mission.
Zoe looked down at the table, the pattern of tiny squares swimming before her eyes as tears formed. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Nick resumed pacing back and forth.
"You'll have to take Zoe back." He said suddenly, stopping and placing his hands on the table top, leaning threateningly towards Makul. "Make sure she's safe, that's the most important thing." He added, Zoe looked up at him, it was the first caring thing he had said since she had arrived.
"We're stuck here until Thursday." Makul said solemnly. "I had to tell the insurgent leader that I was here for five days as a volunteer doctor. He saw how many patients you have and seemed to accept that. They will be watching us, it would be foolhardy to leave early."
Nick's fingers tensed against the table top.
"Then we have five days to come up with a better plan." Meyer concluded.