we're on each other's team [band of brothers / hbo war]

5: aldbourne

Madison learned how to shoot a gun. She never thought that she would do that. She should have expected it, though. She was in the army, and her fellow medics knew how to shoot a pistol in case they were in a tight position. It was only fair that Madison learned how to do that, too.

Lieutenant Winters had helped her out at the shooting range. It seemed like he was training her more than Sobel had. Well, perhaps not. She didn't know. She knew that Winters was much kinder and gave her more input than Captain Sobel.

"That was a good shot for your first try," Winters said. She was close to the mark that she needed to hit. He took her left arm and positioned it. "Try it like this, relax just a bit, but not too much."

Madison nodded. She concentrated on her target and pulled the trigger. She missed again, but on the third time she hit her mark.

"Congratulations, Klein, you have good aim."

Madison paid real close attention to the lectures that Second Lieutenant Harry Welsh gave. He was a short and somewhat goofy looking man, but she liked him. She heard rumors (mostly from Muck and Luz) that he was an alcoholic and was often a violent person. In some ways, she could see it, but she never brought it up to anyone. It wouldn't do anyone good by spreading that sort of information around.

Madison also had to dig foxholes. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, but it wasn't the hardest, either. At least she usually had a partner helping her dig because if she had to do it by herself, it would take her years to complete the task. With her luck, however, Sobel made her dig a foxhole and then rebury it, especially when he felt like she offended him in some manner...which happened often. That son of a bitch. She couldn't help but picture some accidental death befalling on him when she felt extremely vexed with his behavior towards her or the other medics.

The tasks Madison didn't mind the most was her medic training, the lectures and sometimes the platoon training. Those were the fun times.

Madison was often switched in between platoons, but she didn't know why that occurred. Nor did she question it. She was a soldier, and soldiers follow their commanding leaders' orders. Madison didn't mind when she was with Lieutenant Winters' platoon but by God did she hate being stuck with Captain Sobel. That man could not read a map and she just knew that they were going to get killed out there if Sobel was to lead them.

Today Madison was stuck with Winters' platoon, which she didn't mind. As a medic, the best Madison could do was lay low and stay behind unless someone yelled out for her. At least she had enough patience for this job.

Currently, the platoon Madison was in were crouching down behind shrubs. Madison couldn't help but think what the English thought of them when they saw American soldiers during their training, but shook the thought away from her quickly. Their opinions didn't matter, not now. What only mattered now was that Sobel was late, which wasn't a surprise to anyone, really.

"Sobel's late," Lieutenant Winters told Sergeant Lipton, who said nothing in response. Madison said nothing as she kept quiet to herself, wondering how her friends and family were doing. She wondered what Stephen and Louise were doing at the moment.

Winters checked his watch. "We have to move," he told Lipton, noting that it was a little past eleven.

"Sir, without Captain Sobel and first platoon?" Lipton questioned, not sure if he heard the Lieutenant right.

"It's a T-intersection, we improvise."

* * * * *

Stephen was riding his bike down the road when, suddenly, the American soldiers were crossing the road, cutting him off. Deciding that it was best to not interact with them, he turned his bike around and started to go back down the route he was originally on when again, he was cut off by the infantry.