The Host belongs to Stephenie Meyer, not me.

Thanks to everyone who has read my story. Please review, I love to hear your thoughts. :)

Ugh, my head... It hurt so much, I couldn't think straight. Slowly, I tried opening my eyes. My right eye hurt. A lot. It felt swollen.

"...if we're going to take her outside..." Someone was saying. I couldn't tell who it was and I didn't really care.

"She would never..." That was Ian, but he was interrupted by Jared.

"Look, Ian, Doc already put her under so what are we arguing about?"

He sighed. I guess whatever they were fighting about, Jared was winning. "Fine. Will she wake up in time?"

"She should wake up in a little while. I didn't give her that much morphine. It will still a bit before they're done out there, anyway." Doc assured him.

"Okay." Ian said.

I tried to sit up. My head spun from the sudden motion. "Oh, that was a bad idea." I muttered to myself, taking my head in my hand.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Ian screamed. Did he have to start in on me right away? I knew he was not going to be happy with me, but I was injured.

He didn't wait for me to reply before continuing. "I can't believe you would do that! I told you to leave her alone! Didn't I? Did you even listen to anything I said to you? Or are you too stupid to understand simple commands?"

"Ian, shut up!" I yelled, pressing my index finger to my temple. He was making my headache even worse.

"You're lucky I haven't killed you already! She saved your life, you know. She risked her life to save yours, you worthless piece of trash! I should have let you fall into the river. After what you did, you don't deserve to live!" I could see the rage in his eyes. He was very angry with me. I had never seen him that angry before. It shocked me. And what did he mean she saved me?

"What happened? In the river room... with the floor?" I asked. I needed to know what he was talking about. I couldn't remember anything. The floor was crumbling and then there was nothing.

"I don't know, Kyle! How about you tell us?" Ian was still screaming. I looked around the room for the first time. Jared was standing behind Ian. He also looked angry, but it was nothing compared to Ian. Doc was standing beside the cot the parasite was sleeping on. Apparently that's what they had been talking about. Doc must have drugged it. Jeb was also there, leaning against the wall by the entrance. His gun swung over his shoulder.

I looked back to Ian. "The last thing I remember is the floor cracking."

"After you tried to kill her!" He accused. I had tried to kill her. And it didn't work. That damned bug just wouldn't die. Now I was getting angry.

"Ian, I have had enough of your..." I growled, but Jeb stopped me.

"Look here, you two, I don't need any more attempted murders in my home. You understand me?" He said, pointing at us with his gun. We both nodded, and he continued, "Kyle, there is going to be a tribunal. We'll have to decide what to do with you. Until then you'll be staying here with Doc, ya hear?"

I nodded in acceptance. I knew what the consequences were for my actions. Jeb had made it clear. I would either be kicked out or killed. They would vote on what to do, whether or not they could trust me to survive on my own. Whether or not I could evade the Seekers and keep their secret safe. I hoped they would just make me leave the caves. They might vote for me to stay, but the rage in my brother's eyes was enough to convince me that he might not see that as an option.

Ian turned to look at the parasite then. His face softened, but I could still see the anger there. He brushed a strand of hair that had fallen across its forehead and left his hand on her cheek.

My head started aching again. I put my hand to my forehead and groaned. It wasn't just the head wound that was causing my head to hurt. It was this whole stupid situation. Why did that parasite have to come here? Why did my brother have to like it... Why did it save me? That was the real question. The only one that seemed to matter. Why did she save me? Obviously it could've just let me fall. No one would've known what had happened. Or she could have told them the truth. She didn't have to save me.

I laid my head back on the cot and closed my eyes, but I couldn't sleep. It was bugging me. Why would it do something like that? So I just laid there thinking for a while.

"What time is it?" I asked. I didn't know who was still in the room. While I was lying there, I had heard people leaving, but I hadn't bothered looking to see who it was.

"It's late. You were passed out almost the whole day. The sun set a little while ago. Aaron, Brandt, and Wes are outside digging a grave for Walter." Doc's voice was sad. I opened my eyes and saw that he was the only one left in the room.

The corners of my mouth turned down into a frown. I had forgotten all about Walter. Poor guy, I thought. I was never really close to him, but in this place you couldn't help but think of these people as family.

I was surprised that I had slept the whole day. I decided to ask Doc about it. "Is my head very bad? I didn't think it was that bad."

"It's just a bump really. No concussion or anything."

"Then why was I out all day?"

"Uh... Well... You did wake up a few times. You don't remember?" I shook my head and he explained. "Jared punched you, do you remember that?"

I did remember Jared hitting me. I nodded.

"You woke up one other time. Well, you weren't really awake. You began to stir, is more like it." He paused and I raised my eyebrows, but winced at the pain this caused me. "Ian hit you, too. I didn't have a chance to stop him. Let me take a look at your eye."

I laughed to myself. Ian would hit me when I was unconscious. It's the only time he has a chance against me, I thought. "No. I'm fine, Doc."

"Fine." He said. He gave up easier then I thought he would. He must have been mad at me, too.

"Doc, what happened with the parasite?" I couldn't help it. I had to know what it was telling them. What it was planning. I couldn't think of a single reason why it would need to keep me alive. It knew it would be safer if I was dead.

I'd never seen Doc angry before. I'm not even sure he had ever been this angry before in his whole life. But he was angry now. His mouth was turned up into a snarl and his voice was cold as ice when he spoke. "Kyle, you should really keep quiet now."

"Please. I just want to know what it did?"

"What Wanda did was save your life. She pulled you away from the river. She kept you from falling until Ian found you."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Kyle. You probably didn't deserve it. I know you never thought that she belonged here, but..."

"I did what I thought was necessary. What I still think should be done. But I don't understand why she would save me. It doesn't make sense." I groaned. Now I was letting this thing get to me, too. I couldn't believe it. Maybe that's what it wanted. No. That doesn't make any sense, either, I thought. What was her game plan?

I'm not the kind of guy that asks for help, or even accepts help for that matter. I hate owing people things. And this was a big thing to owe. My enemy saved me. Saved me from the same death I had planned for her. Ever since Ian had said that she saved me, I had had a gnawing feeling in my chest. I decided I had to ignore it. She was the enemy for crying out loud. I was right in my actions. She couldn't stay. She wasn't human. So why do I now owe my life to this alien? I was right, wasn't I?