I had to go back and read the history on this post because I'd forgotten why your truck was down in the first place. I agree that the starter wouldn't have caused it to put you down the way it did, but you could have had more than one problem. If a cell inside your battery actually fails (vs normal age deterioration) it can show normal voltage and run low power stuff like your dash lights and turn signals. However, when you go to start it, the battery can't deliver enough juice to turn the starter. It acts similar to when you have a loose battery terminal. My guess is your battery had a cell fault inside which killed the fuel supply to the TBI. If you've got a loose or worn belt, then can squeal when the motor is at extreme low RPM like when it's dying. Depending on how loud and long your squeal was, it may have been a normal slip instead of a shearing action like a pulley lockup. Hard to say without hearing it.
All that being said, assuming what I just said is right, a fresh battery would have got you up and going, as it did. That dragging is the only thing that doesn't fit my theory. UNLESS.......your starter is also failing and the combination of sitting at the shop and the drop in temps has made the symptom more obvious. My truck dragged starting for like 5 years. MOST of the times, I could fix it by replacing or tightening the bolt on battery terminals and/or a new battery. I just figured that was happening because the truck would sometimes sit for 2 months at a time without being started. After the last battery and terminal change though, it was still dragging some. Eventually, it wouldn't start sometimes w/out tapping on it. Once I heard the new starter spin over, I knew that starter should have been changed YEARS ago. If it doesn't squeal/put you down again, but randomly drags sometimes when you got to crank it, start checking grounds, terminals, and wires. If none of that fixes it, you probably need to drop a starter in it. Even if you're actively still trying to sell it, that makes it start easier, which implies it's in better mechanical condition, thus an easier sell. It's only like $50 investment + your time.
