Benjamin is a gay musician, and is, in various ways, a mess.
Physically, he got raped by a stranger who had been cruising him, originally accepting his overtures, then trying to break it off. Beyond physical injuries, he has the possibility of being infected with HIV. That requires a moderately expensive 28-day supply of drugs to act as a prophylactic against permanent infection, something that should be taken within 48 hours of exposure, and useless after 72.
Financially, he is broke, with little in his bank account and a maxed-out credit card. Part of the reason is that he is sending money "home", living an exaggeration of success. Self-employed, he has no drug plan, and so cannot afford the drugs. So he spend most of the weekend trying to round up the money needed.
Psychologically, he is prone to self-medication with alcohol, may not have fully processed his being raped, and is too embarrassed or reticent to fully explain why he needed the money, so at most people would offer whatever cash was on hand. The situation somewhat started with an encounter with his new boyfriend, which ended on an iffy note. He also never got around to asking the pharmacist to give him a partial fill of the prescription, to give him time to raise more money, or to get government assistance.
This is a good portrait of someone who is sometimes frantic, and sometimes in a passive state of despair / seeking distraction. It also promulgates the current reality that HIV is now a manageable disease.
Physically, he got raped by a stranger who had been cruising him, originally accepting his overtures, then trying to break it off. Beyond physical injuries, he has the possibility of being infected with HIV. That requires a moderately expensive 28-day supply of drugs to act as a prophylactic against permanent infection, something that should be taken within 48 hours of exposure, and useless after 72.
Financially, he is broke, with little in his bank account and a maxed-out credit card. Part of the reason is that he is sending money "home", living an exaggeration of success. Self-employed, he has no drug plan, and so cannot afford the drugs. So he spend most of the weekend trying to round up the money needed.
Psychologically, he is prone to self-medication with alcohol, may not have fully processed his being raped, and is too embarrassed or reticent to fully explain why he needed the money, so at most people would offer whatever cash was on hand. The situation somewhat started with an encounter with his new boyfriend, which ended on an iffy note. He also never got around to asking the pharmacist to give him a partial fill of the prescription, to give him time to raise more money, or to get government assistance.
This is a good portrait of someone who is sometimes frantic, and sometimes in a passive state of despair / seeking distraction. It also promulgates the current reality that HIV is now a manageable disease.
