It was as if the entire room held its breath, waiting for the chaos to unravel further. The disbelief on the faces of my fellow soldiers and the audience was palpable—a stark contrast to the wild, untamed anger etched across Linda’s features. This was supposed to be a day of commemoration, a day of honor, yet the ceremony had descended into a scene reminiscent of a Shakespearean tragedy.
General Hayes, with his steely demeanor, represented the calm within the storm. His mere presence seemed to command respect, and now he was channeling all that authority into defending me. “She’s no trash—she’s the best of what this country has to offer,” he declared, his voice ringing with conviction. His words were a lifeline thrown to me in my sea of despair.
The MPs reached Linda swiftly, their expressions a mixture of surprise and resolve. For a moment, I feared the situation could escalate further, but the General’s presence exerted a calming force even on Linda’s chaos. Her defiance faltered, and as the MPs gently but firmly escorted her away, her protests faded into the background noise.
