Medal in Hand: A Stand for Justice Chapter 06
I sat rigid inside, unease gnawing at me. I didn’t know if the medals Moses and Clara had died to earn would mean anything at all.
Could it really be—as Harold had claimed—that they were nothing but worthless scraps of metal?
As I anxiously waited, a military vehicle drove into the yard and stopped in front of me. Almost immediately, a stern, imposing general stepped out.
I stared at him, tears burning in my eyes, while a swell of emotions I couldn’t name rose inside me.
He was Isaac Ziegler—the very man who had once handed me those medals.
Back then, he had stood in the auditorium where the air had been heavy with solemnity. His expression had been grave as he’d placed them in my hands.
And now, those same medals lay at his feet. It was as if fate had brought them back to him.
Isaac bent down to retrieve the medals. The hands that had once bestowed them to me in honor now pressed them back in mine.
After that, he stood straight and gave me a formal salute.
I hurried to my feet, ready to return the gesture, but he caught my hands instead.
“Mr. Tanner, do you remember me?” Isaac asked.
Of course, I remembered. I could never forget him for as long as I lived.
He went on, “Mr. Tanner, I know you’re a strong man. You wouldn’t be here unless you had encountered something you couldn’t overcome. What happened? Why were you kneeling outside the gates?”
The moment his words settled, I couldn’t help but break down.
When Isaac saw me in tears, he took my arm and led me into his office.
“I’m not crying for myself. I’m crying for my granddaughter and the injustice she’s had to suffer,” I choked out.
Then, I recounted everything that had happened to Giselle.
As Isaac listened, tears welled up in his eyes too.
Moments later, he slammed his fist on the desk, the veins on his forehead bulging as he roared, “This is outrageous! I can’t believe people can be so brazen! How dare they mistreat the child of fallen soldiers!
“I don’t care who he is. Anyone who hurts Giselle is picking a fight with us!” His tone turned solemn, and he swore, “Don’t worry, Mr. Tanner. As long as I’m here, I’ll make sure Giselle gets justice. I will not let the families of fallen soldiers suffer again. I will see through this myself.”
