The room was dark, the only light coming from the two large displays on the desk. “Lights, level one,” and a low illumination, too dim to even qualify as mood lighting, filled the room. Seeing the Captain, Cole pulled himself to his feet and, though he did not grimace or wince, though he pulled himself to attention, it was clear in the way he moved that he was in considerable pain. He salutes.
Even in this low light, his ashen complexion, the sheen of sweat, the glaze of his eyes, is visible. The monitors are showing his own medical file. There's very little of note, a soldier who has been fit and incident-free until now. One image dominates the larger of the displays.