He is quickly captured, and finds himself in the care of a surgeon of the North Vietnamese Army in an underground hospital. Both the captor and the prisoner, though patriotic and loyal to their respective countries, realize that they are more medical professionals than soldiers, and build a friendship based on mutual respect. Soon, however, that will be tested when Hanson faces a poignant dilemma. Does he follow the code of conduct that forbids giving comfort to the enemy, or does he honor his Hippocratic Oath to alleviate suffering wherever he finds it?