Gordon lost his right leg last July after it went gangrenous. He was on his way back to the hospital when we met him, although he didn't want to go: it's been hard, living like this, and he's scared they're going to want to amputate his other leg now, too.

"There's a hole in my foot this big," he told us, shaking his head.

Gordon is homeless and spends his nights trying to get some sleep in bus shelters. He has a cousin in Oakland, but he doesn't want to bother her.

"She don't really like having me around," he said. "And I don't want to be a burden."

Astrid hugged him before he left, and I wondered if the last time someone touched him was when they cut off his leg.