[That's all well and good in theory, but in practice? Still, the answer causes the lieutenant to relax a little, and his eyes drop.]

He might be considered a hero already. Or simply...sick, dying, frightened, unconcerned with the goings on aboard his own ship. [Aaand the hypothetical captain is morphing into Keene now instead of Sawyer.] Were you his lieutenant, what would you do?