They mulled over it for a time, and then Douglas asked her why she’d wanted to work here. She explained it was the people – the sense of purpose and energy she had found helping those with so little.

He looked puzzled. ‘And you couldn’t find that back home? Your health system doesn’t do much for the poor, does it?’

Mia grinned self-consciously. ‘You’re absolutely right, Frank. But doling out antidepressants and blood pressure meds to overweight, indifferent people living off junk food is demoralising. Out here I get to vaccinate kids who would otherwise die. I get to keep people healthy so they can physically carve out a living. In Papua you don’t have a choice about getting off the couch. And, I will admit to loving the adventure!’

Douglas smiled at her approvingly. ‘I get it. After Vietnam, I couldn’t hack civilisation. I needed the nitty-gritty of the frontier. No buggers strutting around telling you what to do, wide open spaces, and freedom to go where you bloody well choose. Course, that starts to pale when you get old. Then you start thinking about creature comforts. Pathetic, really.’

Mia thought of her parents’ snug life in Connecticut. Its convenience, security and conformity were charms lost on her. When she’d announced she was returning to Papua, her father had put down his paper and sighed.

‘Aw, Mee, we thought you’d got it out of your system.’

Her mom, always averse to emotional displays, had even cried.

‘We thought you might take over the clinic one day. And stop telling me it’s not dangerous.’

Then they had hugged her tightly and given her their blessing.

Wishing she could tell them how much she loved them, Mia looked over at Douglas, who still had a faraway look in his eyes. While her father was biologically young and healthy, the expat bore the scars of a long and tough existence.

‘Just how long have you been out here, Frank?’

‘Almost half a century.’ He shook his head in wonder. ‘I can’t tell you how many times I was going to quit this shithole and try to get a job teaching snot-nosed grammar school kids how to fly. But something always drew me back.’

‘Was it the people?’

Douglas frowned, but perhaps the last three days had changed him, because with a thoughtful nod he conceded, ‘You know, kid, you might just be right.’

They heard laughter out in the hallway, and then Alatas and Sura came in. They were looking so exuberant that Mia was instantly outraged.