Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 783 Difficulty
"Rookie, do you have a minute?"

The sound was not loud but it was particularly clear in the quiet locker room, so much so that all the players' eyes were drawn to it. After realizing their own actions, they hurriedly retracted their gazes, quietly pricked up their ears, paid attention to the movements there, and couldn't help holding their breath.

After this back and forth, the locker room became even quieter.

Levi turned around and saw the calm face of Eric Berry.

"What's up?" Levi smiled. "The offensive team is having a meeting at my house tonight. I'm planning to go home early to make arrangements."

heh.

There were gasps in the locker room, wondering how they had forgotten about this.

There was a hint of smile in Bailey's eyes. "It won't take long. Five minutes will be enough."

Levi nodded, "No problem. Let's go out and talk. If we continue to stay here, I think there will be no oxygen in the locker room."

This teasing made Berry laugh out loud -

Everyone in the locker room looked at each other, and one by one they relaxed a little.

Berry couldn't help but nodded secretly. Sure enough, Levi has now become the leader of the locker room. This young man has grown so much in just two years.

Levi and Berry left the locker room one after another, but the atmosphere in the locker room was still solemn. Jones thought about it and walked towards Mahomes.

"Patrick, when is the funeral...?"

Coincidentally, Berry was asking Levi the same question.

Levi was stunned. This was an unexpected question.

Berry explained, "If the Gallas don't mind, I'd like to go to the funeral to pay my respects. Perhaps you should go visit them."

The smile on Levi's face revealed a hint of bitterness. "Maybe they need some time and space. We are here now. What else can we say except to express our condolences and wish the deceased peace? We can't help at all."

Bailey shook his head slightly, "That's not the case."

Levi didn't respond.

Berry, "I know you think words have no power. Indeed, in the face of death, our words seem pale and powerless."

"In fact, the same is true for injuries. When I fight against my body, many times I can't do what I want. I have tried hard enough, but my body can't obey me."

"In the past two years, my body has been like the Amazon jungle. Sometimes poisonous snakes come out, and sometimes I am chased by tigers. Occasionally, the situation gets better, but then it falls into endless darkness again."

"Sometimes, my efforts seem to be unable to move forward, and even keep going backwards. I don't know what else I can do. My doctors and physical therapists don't know what else to do. In addition to asking me to be patient, they are useless and just keep repeating the words that I have already memorized like a parrot."

"If someone had told me, 'Come on!' or that everything is going to be OK, I would have punched him in the face and told him to get out of here."

From a medical perspective, Berry has recovered and is back to health; but real life is not that simple. They are not game characters that can recover 100% after treatment. Those injuries and cracks always remain in their bodies, changing them bit by bit.

Berry has resumed practice and tried out for games, including the divisional round against the Indianapolis Colts.

However, Berry's performance was a disaster. It was not just "disappointing". He was completely like a baby who had just learned to walk. He could not keep up with the intensity of the game in terms of touch, awareness, and judgment.

Even if an injury is healed, it does not mean that life can immediately return to the track.

Levi glanced at Berry with a look of horror on his face: What about those inspirational stories I told you?

Berry looked at Levi seriously and said, "I won't swing my fist at you because I can't beat you."

Levi let out a long breath, looking relieved.

Bailey's eyes widened. "How can you just admit it so openly?"

Levi looked innocent.

Berry burst out laughing, stopped joking, and brought the subject back.

"but……"

"In a way, we need those words again." "No, not the words, but we need someone to accompany us and fight the world with us. We really can't do it just by our own strength."

"Even if those words are so light that they have no power at all, we need you to repeat them tirelessly, a hundred times, a thousand times."

"If you give up, I don't know if I can hold on."

"Same with the Gallas."

Parents bidding farewell to their children is one of the cruelest things in life, among the countless frustrations and sorrows. What's more, Anne was only eleven years old.

Levi couldn't help but think of Felix's words -

Anne's birthday is coming soon, but she will never have the chance to celebrate her twelfth birthday.

Berry carefully observed Levi's expression and hesitated.

"and……"

"I know you look normal today, but this normality is not normal. Today should be abnormal."

Seeing Levi trying to explain himself, Berry shook his head and raised his hand to stop Levi.

"I understand. You are the captain now. You need to show your strength and bear the pressure yourself. So you cannot show your vulnerability in the team."

"But you also allow for sadness and allow for vulnerability. You are not a superhero, and you shouldn't be."

"Levi, you need comfort too."

The sound quietly permeated the air, and the troubled emotions slowly settled.

However, Levi remained unchanged.

Berry sighed softly. Levi needs time and space. It’s not possible to untie the knot in his heart with just a few words.

"So, you should go visit the Gallas, and while you try to comfort them, they can also comfort you. You need to do this."

Levi looked at Berry, his face full of surprise.

Berry didn't say anything else, but looked at the court in front of him and let out a long breath.

"Ah, I don't know how many more games I can play at Arrowhead Stadium. This weekend, I really hope I can play."

There was a hint of reluctance in his words.

Levi immediately understood: Berry was thinking about his retirement.

Whether you are willing to admit it or not, the reality is already in front of you. Although Berry spent two years to finally overcome his injury and return to the court, age and injuries still completely destroyed his game.

Even if Berry can continue to survive on the court, how much dignity will he have left?
This is too cruel.

Two years, nearly two years, countless fights, countless efforts, countless persistence, but the final result was still a regrettable one. Berry couldn't even start again to play for the Kansas City Chiefs.

So, what are these two years?
Bailey turned around and saw Levi's flustered face, hesitating to speak, "It's rare to make you speechless."

Levi pulled the corner of his mouth, "There's nothing I can do, I'm not good at talking."

"Haha," Berry laughed heartily. "Actually, I knew two years ago that even if I started rehabilitation and even if I recovered from my injury, there would be no guarantee. No one could guarantee that I could return to my peak, and no one could guarantee that I could continue to compete."

"Everything is my own will."

"Look, I understand the reason, but..."

Berry let out a long breath and shouted loudly to the court.

"I'm not willing to accept this. Damn, I really am not willing to accept this."

(End of this chapter)