Toy Soldier » Band of Brothers

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟷𝟷

A/N Hi everyone! Thanks for reading this far, and hopefully linking what you've read. Sorry for the break but I've just been kind of busy lately so I hope you enjoy. Other than that please comment. I really love reading what people have to say or think about what im writing.

Thanks and enjoy⁓

𝚂𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁 𝟷𝟿𝟺𝟹

As it would turn out, Tommy and Talbert were the only ones who placed their bets correctly. The trains headed north, toward Camp Shanks, 30 miles up the Hudson River from New York City. The men were quickly ushered into their new, temporary barracks, placated with promises of passes to the city— promises that were never kept.

Instead they were subjected to inspection after inspection, after which followed the heavy round of inoculations. Shot after shot was administered without any context until their arms hung along their sides like limp ropes.

Sitting in the Barracks, Tommy attempted to raise either of her arms, trying to rub the numbing divots in her shoulders.

"Look, all I'm sayin' is ya can't be sure they didn't put a paralytic in those shots." Tommy mused, laughing when Bull and Guarnere spared her a reproachful glare.

"Piss off, Test." Toye grouched, not at all entertained by the prospect. Though he couldn't deny with the extreme numbness he felt in both of his arms that Tommy's outlandish theories rang somewhat true. 

"Well, if they know what's good for them, they would have put in a paralytic for your mouth." Liebgott threw as he walked by, his arms swinging uselessly by his sides in a rather comical fashion.

Tommy grinned, non-plussed by the insult. She reckoned they would have if they could. 

"Well, Lieb, I wish I could say they put a paralytic in your brain, which would explain a few things. But then I realized your brain never worked in the first place." She grinned, showing off her two dimples, and a deceptively innocent crinkle at the corner of her eyes, "Proper waste of resources that would be."

"I'd deck you if I could feel my arms." Liebgott jeered.

"Look at that! All those shots are already comin' in handy."

"Testy!" Sergeant Lipton, who had just entered the barrack, called. Immediately, Tommy stood at relative attention as best she could with her limp arms. Lipton glanced at her, fighting a grin when he noticed the expressions ranging from annoyance to entertainment on the faces of the men behind her. 

No one would ever outright say it, probably in fear of making themselves a target for the small mans fast mouth, but Tommy had proved vital to the Battalions morale. Not only Easy enjoyed her rather ill timed quips. Lipton had heard of boys from Fox and Dog who actively sought out the firecracker of a man, either trying to get a rise out of him, or simply enjoying his strange and slightly volatile company. 

"Lieutenants looking for you." Lipton grinned as if he knew something Tommy didn't. Well, she supposed, he knew a lot of things she didn't. It comes with age.

"Winters?"

"Yup. Last time I saw him he was outside of Battalion HQ."

"Thanks Sarge." Tommy threw before quickly exiting. 

It took her about two minutes to find Lieutenant Winters. He was exactly where Sergeant Lipton had said he would be.

Tommy found Lieutenant Winters to be an interesting man. At first she had assumed he was a Mennonite. On the straight and narrow— never drinking, never smoking, not even cussing, probably unable to drive. She supposed, minus the last one, those were admirable traits, but in the army, where the worth of a man was about equivalent to his testosterone production, it was a rather interesting sight to see.