“Son, I can’t believe you finished your internship and decided to practice here at UCSF Medical Center. Why in the hell did you come back?”

               “I came back for you, Dad.”  

               Red rolled his eyes and laughed. “Came back for me? What do you think you’re going to do, Nick? Save me? I’m way past saving.” He tipped the brown bag one last time, then tipped it over, checking it was empty. “Damn it. Empty.” Red tossed the bottle over his shoulder, landing at the feet of another homeless person trying to sleep next to a stolen shopping cart. The paper bag padded its fall to the sidewalk and didn’t break. If it had, the person sleeping would’ve gotten a mouthful of glass. “Got five bucks?” He held his hand, waiting for Nick to put some cash into it.

               “No. But I have this.” Nick reached into his suit coat and pulled out three small bottles of Tito’s vodka. The flight attendant gave him four, one he drank, saving the other three. “Tell you what. I’ll give you all three if you come home with me.” He shook the bottles in Red’s face.  

               “That’s not a fair deal.” Red pouted, crossing his arms. “What’s in it for me?”

               “Rehab,” Nick said, standing, brushing imaginary dirt from his slacks.  

               “I’ll pass, thanks.” He pulled the stocking cap down to his eyebrows, forcing Red to squint.  

               Nick felt the presence of someone behind him. A tap on his shoulder startled him. “If he don’t take ‘em, I will, son.” She was wrinkled with age and tanned from the California sunshine, even if it was San Francisco. Her grey, frizzy hair was matted with leaves and dirt. A green Army surplus coat hung over her thin frame, and a few cheap rings were close to falling off her fingers.

“Alley Annie,” Red said, introducing the woman to Nick, “This is Alley Annie.”

She smiled at Nick, showing him the last three teeth she had. “Really. If you gonna give ‘em away anyway, might as well be someone who’ll appreciate the finer vodkas?” Laughing, Annie’s breath could kill fish in the icy San Francisco Bay waters. Nick took a few steps back to avoid her rotting breath.

               “You ain’t too bright, kiddo. Show that,” Red pointed to the bottles in Nick’s hand, “out here? Lible to get jumped for those alone, much less that suit, tie, and shoes.”

               Nick handed Annie one of the bottles, then tossed the other two to his Dad. “Much obliged,” Red winked at Nick. “You be sure to say hi to the little missus for me, won’t you?”

               Nick waved at Red, walking down Hyde Street to Post Street and then to the Marriot after he tossed his smoke to the ground, crushing it under his heel. Annie came sliding back up to Nick. “So, you got anything else inside that nice suit you’d like to give me?”

               Reaching inside the coat, he pulled a five-note out, crumpling it in his hand. Smiling at Annie, he shook her hand, pushing the crumpled cash into her ring-covered hand. “No. I’m afraid not, my dear.” Smiling, he shook her hand, waved, and walked down the street.

               “God bless you, young man!” Annie shouted, shaking the small empty vodka bottle at him.