13 Reasons Why Hannah Baker Lived

Chapter 62: The Finals Days Of Justin Foley

Prom was a week ago, Justin has been in the hospital since. He's been in the hospital for a week and we have no idea what's wrong. We've visited him in the hospital but he wasn't conscience. He looked bad. I noticed that he had what looked like a black rash on his neck. I looked up black rashes online, when I got the results... my heart sank. Please god, no.

Doctor: Justin has given me permission to discuss his treatment and diagnosis with you.

Justin's doctor sits down with the Jensen's in the waiting room to discuss Justin's status.

Doctor: I'm afraid I have some difficult news to share. Justin has tested positive for HIV-1. And based on his symptoms, we believe... it has progressed to AIDS.

Matt Jensen: That's... How is that possible? He... he had the flu. He's been tired.

Doctor: Well, HIV has a long period of latency after infection, which means that Justin may not have shown any symptoms for some time. With his IV drug use and extended periods of homelessness, this would have made him more susceptible to rapid progression. And according to his records, he was never tested.

Laine Jensen: How... how has he never been tested? We got him the best GP. He had a complete physical.

Doctor: Testing requires patient consent. It's not uncommon for a young man with a history of IV drug use and sex work to avoid testing.

Clay Jensen: Sex work?

Doctor: Justin never spoke to you about the time he spent homeless?

Clay Jensen: Not about that part, no.

Doctor: The pneumocystis pneumonia has an indolent presentation, which means that the symptoms develop slowly over some weeks, and there was a late diagnosis... There is also a neurological infection. A fungal meningitis that has not advanced quite so far, but is pervasive.

The next day, me & Jessica arrive to the hospital together where we meet with the Jensens. They tell us what I had feared. Justin has AIDS. We broke down in tears. They also told us that Justin's condition was getting worse. Alex, Charlie, Tony, & Ani arrived later on as Clay line us up to see Justin. Typical of Clay Jensen for him to line people up just to see Justin. Charlie brought a huge stuffed panda for Justin, much to Alex's annoyance. After them, I was up to see him. He looked worse than the last time I saw him. We chatted for little while. We didn't talk about our past or talk about his condition. We just talked about the good times we've all had and that what we wanted to focus on the good not the bad.

Meanwhile at Liberty, Tyler & Winston are in the yearbook room alone developing pictures as Winston approaches Tyler with pictures prom.

Winston Williams: Prom pictures. Some good ones of you and Estela. You should frame one for her.

Tyler Down: Oh, wow. Wow, these are really great. Hey, thank you.

Winston Williams: I know it was Jessica... who killed Bryce. And I know Clay and Ani and some group of you framed Monty. I almost have what I need to go to the police. But I don't have to include you or Hannah Baker, she's been through enough.

Tyler Down: (Inhales Deeply) You got it all wrong. You don't really know anything, and Jessica and Clay and Ani, they're my friends. So anything you do to them, you do to me too.

Winston leaves the yearbook room as he's prepared to go to the police. Once Winston left, Tyler takes out his phone and group text to his friends "We need to talk about Gordon Lightfoot". Later that night...

Me, Jessica, & Charlie are sitting in the waiting room with Clay. Clay tells how Justin got AIDS. Justin told his doctor and she told the Jensens that when he was homeless last year, he had to resort to sex work with men in order to get money. I was shocked. Jessica tells us that Justin told her after the assembly when Clay was arrested. Clay wondered why Justin didn't tell him about it.