In this version of the Host, Melanie does get captured, but no Soul is put into her, leaving her to be put in a cell instead. Wanda is already in Pet's body and is in the neighboring cell. Watch as they become unlikely friends and leave to search for the caves together.
The Host belongs to Stephenie Meyer, though the alternative scenario belongs to me.
Melanie Stryder was brought before Fords Deep Waters. The Healer flinched upon seeing her injuries. Nevertheless, he went to work, healing her injuries using the various medicines used by those of his Calling. A Seeker in black stood anxiously to the side, watching Fords do his job. Fords turned to the Seeker after finishing.
"Is there a reason you are so anxious, Seeker?" he asked.
"Are there any Souls ready for insertion?" the Seeker asked.
Fords shook his head.
"There are, but none that would go into this one," he said, "Wanderer is likely the only real candidate, but, as you know, she has already been inserted into another Host and she is too proud to skip a life term."
The Seeker hissed in disgust.
"That traitor would object, no doubt," she said, "She seems very fond of humans these days."
"In her defense, it was a little girl she was protecting," Fords argued, "Didn't the girl's parents object as well?"
"They did," the Seeker responded, "But they're fools for doing so. Sure, she may seem innocent and harmless now, but when she grows older, she's going to become a problem for us."
"As possible as that may be, I'm sure a Human raised by us Souls is not going to be too much trouble," Fords said.
"Until she lashes out and starts resisting us!" the Seeker said, "Humans are all the same! Violent, emotional brutes that will not succumb!"
"Like Lacey, for instance?" Fords asked.
The Seeker gasped.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said.
"I think you do, Seeker," Fords replied, "I have seen you stare off into space as if lost in thought, and you particularly seem to hate Humans with a passion. Am I wrong in assuming that Lacey might still be alive inside her own head?"
The Seeker just gritted her teeth.
"But, that is not important at the moment," Fords said, "What shall we do about the girl here?"
This question made the Seeker smirk.
"I say we put her in the cell next to the traitor's," she suggested.
"Neither would be happy with those accommodations," Fords argued.
"Exactly," the Seeker replied, "It would be a fitting punishment for one of the Humans Wanderer is rather fond of to threaten her life every day."
"If your fellow Seekers heard you talk like that, they would think you had succumbed to your Host's tendencies," Fords remarked, "I, myself, am a little unnerved. After all, we may send our fellow Souls off-planet against their will, but even that is for their own good. What you are suggesting is a form of torture. Not to mention that you are punishing Wanderer for standing by her friends and protecting their child, Human though she may be."
"You almost sound like Burns Living Flowers," the Seeker said, "Now there's a traitor if I've ever heard of one."
Fords sighed.
"As I understand it," he said, "All he did was see things from the Humans' perspective and now he is doing what he can to help the Humans live comfortably wherever they are hiding out. If I do indeed sound like him, then there is clearly something wrong with what we are doing here on Earth."
"There's nothing wrong!" the Seeker snapped, "We are doing this planet a service!"
"I am not saying that we are not," Fords responded, "Any surviving Humans would probably agree with us on that point if they thought about it. But, for Humans to resist us almost from Day 1, there has to be something we are not realizing. And, I think I have a fairly good idea of what that is."
"Whatever it is, it's not important," the Seeker said, "Your patient will be waking up soon and I'd rather have her contained until then."
Fords sighed.
"All right," he said, "Do as you wish. I can see that there is no convincing you otherwise."
"Thank you, Healer," the Seeker said, "You will not regret this."
She promptly wheeled Melanie out of the facility.
"If the Human girl and Wanderer end up befriending each other, I probably will not," Fords said to himself.