I don't own Band of Brothers or any of the amazing men who served in the military. The only things I own are Megan, Brian, and Jack.

Getting up the following day, I dress quickly. Sobel had ordered an inspection for 0630, and none of us wanted to risk his wrath. By 0620, everyone is lined up in front of the barracks, waiting for Sobel to arrive. We weren't disappointed.

"You people are at the position of attention! Private Perconte, have you been blousing your trousers over your boots like a paratrooper? "

"No, sir. "

"Then explain the creases at the bottom. Frank pauses a moment before replying. No excuse, sir."

"Volunteering for the parachute infantry is one thing, Perconte, but you've got a *long* way to prove that you belong here. Your weekend pass is revoked."
"Name."

"Luz, George.

"Dirt in the rear sight aperture. Pass revoked. Sobel moves down the line. "When did you sew on these chevrons, Sergeant Lipton?"

"Yesterday, sir."

Sobel holds up a single thread. "Long enough to notice this. Revoked."

"Sir."

"Name."

"Malarkey, Donald G."

"Malarkey. Malarkey's slang for "bullshit," isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Rust on the buttplate hinge spring, Private Bullshit. Revoked. Name."

"Liebgott, Joseph D., sir"

"Rusty bayonet, Liebgott. You wanna kill Germans?"

"Yes, sir."

Sobel hits Liebgott's helmet with the bayonet. "Not with this." He walks out in front of the company and holds the bayonet up for every man to see. "I wouldn't take this rusty piece of shit to war, and I will not take you to war in your condition!" Sobel throws the bayonet into the ground and speaks again. "Now, thanks to these men and their infractions, every man in the company who had a weekend pass... has lost it. Change into your PT gear, we're running Currahee."

Within 5 minutes, the company is heading towards Currahee. Yet another grueling run, complete with the taunting from Sobel. This time though, I add some commentary.

"Damn, I'd forgotten how humid it was here."

"I thought it got humid in Hawaii too."

"Who asked that?"

"Randleman, ma'am, Bull Randleman."

"Nice to meet ya Bull. And you can call me Miss Megan, same as everyone else. As for your question, no, it is not humid. Everytime it starts to get that way, we get a breeze or a short rain that cools it right off. Makes it a nice place to live, when bombs aren't dropping, that is."

"Oh, ok."

Tonight, we also had the weekly Friday night march. We're marching in the pitch dark, with full gear too. On top of that, it's still humid and we've been ordered not to drink from our canteens.

"I'm gonna say something." That was Bull.

"To who?" Luz looked at Bull like he was nuts.

"Lieutenant Winters!"

"What is it?"

"Permission to speak, sir?'

"Granted."

"Sir, we got 9 companies, sir."

"We do."

"Well, how come we're the only one marching every Friday night, twelve miles, full pack, in the pitch dark?"

"Why do you think, Private Randleman?"

"Lieutenant Sobel hates us, sir."

"Lieutenant Sobel does not hate Easy Company, Private Randleman. He just hates you."

"Thank you sir."

The rest of the guys laugh and joke about how Bull hates him back.

When we get back, Sobel has us pour our water on the ground. Christenson had drunk most of his, and was forced to repeat the whole march. I really feel bad for that kid. It's not easy training under Sobel, especially in the Georgia heat.

Several days later, Sobel inspects the barracks, looking for who knows what, probably just for another reason to bring the men down.

After throwing out a tie for being non regulation uniform, complaining over how Private Tipper has time for so much letter writing, and any other minor infraction he can find, Sobel comes to the last footlocker in the building. He opens it up, and brings out a can.

"What is this?...Anybody?"

"Er…it's a can of peaches, sir."

"Lieutenant Nixon thinks this is a can of peaches. That is incorrect, Lieutenant. Your weekend pass is cancelled. This is United States Army property which was taken without authorization from my mess facility. And I will not tolerate thievery in my unit. Whose footlocker is this"

Dick answers that one, "Private Park's, sir."

"Get rid of him." Sobel goes one step further and revokes everyone's passes, before dismissing us. "Carry on." We salute and head for the door, but are stopped with, "Lieutenants Winters and Kennedy." Dick and I turn around and follow Sobel out the other door.

Sobel addresses me first. "Colonel Sink has seen fit to promote you to Captain.

"Thank you, sir."

While he pins my new bars onto the collar, he adds, "As a test of your ability to multitask and still function as a member of this company, I am assigning you to work the graveyard shift at the hospital each night for the next two weeks. You will report there immediately following the march. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Sobel moves on to Dick next. Colonel Sink has also seen fit to promote you. As first lieutenant, you'll serve as my executive officer."

"Thank you, sir."

"And, as a test of your organizational skills and command potential, I am designating you mess officer for 14 days. Report to the mess kitchen at 0515, company breakfast to be served at 0600. Oh, and Dick, there's rain forecast tomorrow, so the company will have a light afternoon of lecture and classroom instruction. I think a special meal before their afternoon off would be a welcome change of pace, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, sir."

"I like spaghetti."

As Sobel walks away, I move forward to stand by Dick. "I've got a bad feeling."

"He's not that cruel as to do something on their afternoon off, I don't think."

The next day, Dick and I learn how wrong he was. I am exhausted from my first night at the hospital, and am taking it out on Lew while eating our spaghetti lunch.

"No one is supposed to run up and down Currahee what, 5, 6 times then go work all night at a hospital, where what seemed like half the post came in just to annoy me." Lew just nodded. "I mean, it wouldn't have bothered me if the men had genuinely needed medical attention, but they were coming in for scratches, headaches, simple stuff."

"Sorry Megan, don't know what I can do about it."

As I am about to respond, Sobel barges in. "Orders changed. Get up! Lectures are cancelled. Easy Company is running up Currahee. Move Move! Three miles up, three miles down! Hi ho, Silver!"

"I told Dick he was planning something, I told him!" Getting up, I hurry to down some water in hopes of not losing my entire meal on that damned mountain.

The men were all losing the contents of their stomachs and looking very green. Sobel was taunting them, and it didn't work this time. Luz started singing, and before long, everyone had joined in, even Dick, who had caught up to us.

"We pull upon the risers,
We fall upon the grass.
We never land upon our feet,
We always hit our ass!
Highty tighty, Christ almighty! Who the hell are we?
Zim-Zam god damn! We're Parachute Infantry!"

Thanks to everyone who is reading this, and especially to those who have reviewed! I really appreciate it! I hope that some more of you can review, cos that is the only way I know how y'all are reacting to this. I'm figuring on one, maybe two more chapters before I send them off to England.