Oates' feet were badly frostbitten. He was getting weak faster than the others. In his diary, Scott wrote on March 5: "Oates' feet are in a wretched condition... The poor soldier is very nearly done." The others did not want to leave him behind. This caused the team to be late getting back. They were running out of food and fuel. On March 15, Oates told his friends that he could not go on. He asked them to just leave him in his sleeping bag, but they said no. He travelled a few more miles that day but got worse that night.