Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 327 - 326 Christmas Gifts

The ripples shimmered, and the sound of water flowed gently, as the golden sunlight of winter in Kansas City filtered sparsely through the treetops, casting dappled patterns on the surface of the indoor swimming pool.

A sturdy yet slender figure swam straight along the lane, and upon close observation, one could notice that he primarily propelled himself using his upper body, his legs not exerting much force, merely faintly flapping to aid his movement.

The pace was not fast, even slow, but he remained focused, meticulously swimming with precision as if he was using every muscle in his body to feel the nuances of his exertion, his soul completely merging with the water.

On the shore, a man dressed in a dark blue hospital rehabilitation uniform followed along the lane, maintaining his focus and close observation, yet he did not speak to break the silence, leaving only the sound of swimming quietly flowing in the air.

This was rehabilitation—

Tedious. Long. Slow.

Until the rehabilitation session ended, Eric Berry stopped at the end of the lane, supported himself out of the water onto the shore with his hands, wiped the water off his face, and took a long breath.

The man on the shore approached, "Eric, you’re in good shape today. I think we can start trying some ground activities tomorrow."

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Berry’s eyes lit up, and he looked up sharply, "Really?"

Three months had passed since the season-ending Achilles tendon rupture, and Berry had been enduring the rehabilitation, patiently and calmly following the plan.

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Although he never showed it, rehabilitation was undoubtedly a torment.

Sometimes it went smoothly, other times not; not every day brought progress, and occasionally there might even be setbacks; despite strictly following medical advice, not every effort received positive feedback.

Not only was it tedious and prolonged, but it was also a difficult struggle.

Berry thought about giving up, more than once, but he ultimately couldn’t bear to—

He wanted to fight once more, he wanted to stand and compete on the field again.

However, it was not easy.

The words "hold on" and "keep it up" felt light and weightless; but putting them into action meant continuous, torturous struggle.

Besides gritting his teeth and persevering, there were no shortcuts.

Until today, Berry had always been engaged in aquatic rehabilitation activities to avoid putting too much stress on his ankle, but now, he finally heard some good news.

The man flashed a smile, "Stay calm, Eric, stay calm, we need to remain patient, remember?"

Berry waved his hand, "Yes, yes, I know, rushing things might backfire, and all our prior efforts might be wasted, but, James, the playoffs are just around the corner, in two weeks."

James White, a professional physical therapist, responsible for Berry’s rehabilitation, closely monitored Berry’s condition, and adjusted the plans daily to ensure Berry’s body could keep up.

White didn’t mind, "As long as you know, you’ve been doing very well so far, and I hope we can continue smoothly. I will be with you until you return to the field and we’ll try our best to make it to the playoffs."

Berry took a long breath, quietly sat by the poolside for a moment, and couldn’t help but laugh, his mood suddenly uplifting—

Finally.

Though not a return to the field, he had finally taken the most important step.

"Thank you, James." Berry looked up again at White, "This is the best Christmas present, thank you for still being here with me on Christmas."

White, with a serious face, said, "No worries, I charge double for working on Christmas. You don’t need to worry, my kids know I am earning money for their toys."

"Haha," Berry laughed heartily, "It seems I should pick up the pace then, to avoid keeping you from going home to play with new toys with your kids."

Today, December 25th, Christmas Day.

However, professional events continued.

In fact, as today was Sunday, the League had scheduled the "Christmas Battle."

Last night, Saturday, there were originally no evening games, but to match the festive atmosphere, the League scheduled a traditional Christmas Eve battle, a classic AFC East showdown between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.

Today, Sunday, from morning to afternoon, a series of key games were available for choosing, allowing fans to indulge in a viewing marathon at home with family and friends, right up till the evening when the night game concluded Christmas—

The Philadelphia Eagles versus the Oakland Raiders.

As fans and their families gathered, professional sports continued non-stop, and the players needed to enter the fray and battle, adding a bright scenery to Christmas Day.

And for players like Berry, who were sidelined for the season due to injuries, there was no exception; they still needed to rehabilitate, still needed to fight against injuries, and still needed to strive to return to the field, not missing a single day.

With White’s help, Berry returned to the locker room, changed his clothes, and was finally ready to leave the hospital to spend Christmas at home, only to find a bustling crowd filling the lobby.

In the hospital, there were many patients, medical staff, and relatives of patients who couldn’t go home, and even on holidays, they needed to stay here.

This was clearly not an easy thing.

But that did not mean they couldn’t momentarily put aside the pain of illness and briefly enjoy the festive atmosphere, wearing red jerseys and red hats as if Santa Claus himself had visited bringing laughter.

On the TV screen, the live broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium was showing, the vast wave of red from the camera spreading to every corner of the hospital lobby.

Undoubtedly, in Kansas, nothing could be more exhilarating than a Chiefs’ game.

Involuntarily, Berry paused—

"... backpedaling, Smith is reading the defense and looking for a passing target."

"Passing… oh, no, a fake run after a feint, the football is handed off to Li Wei."

"Dolphins!"

"Beautiful, Li Wei makes a sharp stop and turn, successfully shaking off the first wave of tackles from the defensive line, and Dolphins linebacker Hewitt seizes the opportunity precisely."

"Tackle!"

"God, Li Wei, Li Wei, Li Wei!"

"Li Wei makes a complex spin move, like a tango, slipping past Hewitt’s back and sidestepping the tackle, which is a disaster for Hewitt, as the Dolphins’ linebacker group continues to be devastated by injuries this season."

"Li Wei shakes off the tackle, and his advance continues!"

"Five yards!"

"Pincer move! The Dolphins’ Red Zone defense finally shows its strength, but here comes Li Wei—wait, how did he do that, was that a Marseille turn? Wait, Li Wei has used a soccer-style move to dodge the tackle for a second time, shifting his route forward again."

"God!"

"End zone, touchdown!"

"Twelve-yard ground rush for a touchdown! Li Wei, the twenty-third overall rookie Top Scholar for the Chiefs, scores the first touchdown of the game for his team!"

"Wow, I mean..."

"Uh, wait, Li Wei stands in the end zone, lifting his jersey, and beneath it, he wears a white sweatshirt inscribed—"

Berry was stunned, seeing an entirely unexpected message from Li Wei written under his jersey:

Hey Eric, we’re coming.

Unexpectedly, Berry’s eyes were fiercely hit by a warm surge.