From out of the shadows, they emerge barefoot, sick and tired toward the SUV in the parking lot of a Birmingham church. Krystal and three of her friends who also live on the street line up and receive supplies like syringes, sanitary wipes and wound care.
A sore on her hand, the result of her injecting a combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl that missed the vein, has split open, oozing clear and white fluid.
“I’ve had a rough go at it this week,” Krystal says, punctuating the line with a laugh. The Gulf States Newsroom is not using her last name…