Harold's Going Stiff

So, mike, you're on --

what -- seven this week?

Number seven, yeah. Yeah.

Nearly been a zombie a day for

efficient, we know that.

None. When do I get one?

You can watch and learn from

you know, you start from the

bottom and you work your way up.

Yeah, but if I get one, I'll

look good, won't I?

Colin, you're never gonna

look good.

Basically, we're out there

clearing the streets, protecting

the innocent, uh, making sure

that anybody who -- who turns,

or goes zombified as they're

calling it, um, that we -- we

kind of bring them in or bring

that's what we say, isn't it,

"let's bring 'em in or bring 'em

the major trophy for all of us,

the kind of world cup of what we

do, is a mr. harold gimble,

or...

All: Gimboo!

...as we call him, um,

because he was the first to

contract this disease, um, and

that makes him worth

1,000 points, which means if any

of us got him now -- obviously

you reckon you're gonna get him,

I think I will.

I'll get him.

I'll get one anyway.

What are you gonna do?

What are you gonna do to gimboo?

Gimboo!

I'm gonna hit him.

Where h-h-he deserves it.

He'll get it.

Don't worry.

Jesus christ!

Get him!

Come here!

Come on, colin!

You're a dead man!

Come on!

He's here!

Come on!

Come on! Get him!

Come on, lads.

Put him down!

Hang on. Hang on, jon.

I think he's had it.

I think he's a goner.

What are you doing, col?

Having my photo taken.

Oh, for christ's sake.

I've got to have it.

I want the photo taken.

Take it now.

Come on, col.

Take the photo.

Come on.

Take it.

Take the photo.

Take the fucker out!

Take the fucker out!

Well, I-I first noticed it when

I-I was out in the garden on all

fours, and I was troweling up

some weeds.

I felt me arms going stiff.

I -- then I couldn't get the

weeds out.

And then during the week, I

noticed I couldn't brush me hair

properly, and going to the

toilet was a bit of an ordeal.

I couldn't wipe properly.

Dreadful, really.

Harold has been a patient of

mine for a number of years

hello. dr. ash.

...and he came to see me

initially, uh, complaining of

stiffness and lack of mobility.

And, uh, I have to admit, much

to my chagrin, that I did

initially just put it down as

the onset of, uh, arthritis.

And who would have thought that

some months later we would have

all the -- all these men now

with stiffness problems?

We could get to a point where a

very high percentage of -- of

the population would have the

problem.

Recent figures today have

suggested that the new cases of

onset rigors disease have almost

doubled within the last few

weeks.

And with hospitals almost full

to capacity, the government is

turning to disused community

centers like this one behind me

to turn into makeshift holding

centers for those worst

well, what we're trying to

do, really, is offer some

temporary relief for the

hospitals by dealing with this

problem at a local level.

In this center, we're able to

manage a handful of men who are

stiff.

It's tragic.

It's really sad to see what's

happened.

He started doing really weird

things, and I knew he wasn't

he wasn't talking much, and we

usually talk quite a lot.

He just acts really differently

he'd do really strange things

that -- just not acting like

himself.

Everyone at home's missing you,

dad.

Mum as well.

Earlier when I was speaking

to june, a man with the

advanced stages of o.R.D. Was

brought in.

He was found wondering the

streets, and being unable to

communicate and with no form of

identity, he shall be known

simply as number 7.

For me and for many of my

fellow professionals,

onset rigors disease, or o.R.D.

As we now call it, is one of the

most fascinating diseases that

we've come across probably in

the last century.

There are no cases anywhere

recorded of any women suffering

from it.

The progression varies from case

to case.

Some of the early cases, they go

stiff and remain stiff for a

long period of time.

Oh!

What we've discovered is that

there are three distinct stages

to the progression of the

stage one is quite subtle --

general stiffness.

Stage two is a little bit

more worrying.

We see a gradual deterioration

of mental faculties.

Now, when we get on to stage

three, that really is a

distressing stage.

They've also become dangerous

not only to themselves, but

possibly to those around them.

They become, for want of a

better word, zombified.

One of the main things is --

is forgetfulness, and, you know,

sometimes I wake in the morning

and really, I forget where I am.

Not all the time, b-but, uh, it

is becoming a bit more regular,

and it does seem a bit

frightening.

I don't know a lot about

zombies, but I do know that

they are the living dead, and

that's not very nice at all.

I'm sure I saw some movement

we're just stretched to the

we've people from desks out on

we've people out in cars, and

they're using their own cars.

We can't totally cope on our

own, especially out here in the

rural areas.

These volunteers are

desperately, desperately needed.

We need their input, their eyes.