deadlock: a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
situation: a complex or critical or unusual difficulty
radiation sickness: syndrome resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., exposure to radioactive chemicals or to nuclear explosions); low doses cause diarrhea and nausea and vomiting and sometimes loss of hair; greater exposure can cause sterility and cataracts and some forms of cancer and other diseases; severe exposure can cause death within hours