Chapter 873: Soul on Fire
"Beep!"
The referee blew the final whistle. Although it wasn't a night game, Sam Bradford still walked over and shook hands with Lu Ke, showing respect for the golden ocean in front of him. This was Bradford's personal choice, unlike the other St. Louis Rams players who just walked away.
Lu Ke sincerely thanked him.
Then, Lu Ke turned around and walked toward the center of the field, where he joined his teammates. Everyone lined up neatly in three rows: offense, defense, and special teams. All the starters and backups were on the field without exception. Then, they all raised their hands, showing off their gold accessories on their bodies and hands, and applauded to thank the audience.
North. West. South. East.
All the fans in Candlestick Park stood up together, waving their scarves and other items. Then, the stadium once again echoed with that familiar chant, simple yet direct, familiar and powerful, showing the unique toughness and passion of this stadium and city:
"Fight! On!"
They were the Niners. They were warriors. They would never break, never bend, and never give up!
"Fight! On!"
They were the gold miners who were tightly united. They came to this land following the guidance of their ancestors, to create a new world and a life of their own. No matter how many difficulties, hardships, or setbacks, they could not be defeated. If their destiny was to be dark, then they would use their own hands to tear open a gap and feel the warmth of the sun.
"Fight! On!"
That soaring fighting spirit, that surging passion, and that unyielding will were ignited again, burning fiercely! It wasn't just because of the touchdowns, it wasn't just because of the victory, but it was the DNA deeply hidden in their blood. They were fighters! They were warriors! They were soldiers!
"Let the storm rage on!"
Ryan Baldwin sat quietly in his wheelchair. Before he even realized it, his eyes started to get a little warm, and hot tears blurred his vision. The golden ocean became blurry, but it was like volcanic magma bubbling and boiling in his veins. This feeling was so wonderful.
In the torment of ALS, his muscles had gradually started to wither. His mind and nerves were slowly losing control of his body. The actions he once took for granted had become incredibly difficult. He had to use all his strength to clench his fist.
But now, his muscles felt a faint warmth again. It was as if his body had been magnified into a universe, and he could clearly control every tiny movement. Even the nerves as thin as a hair could stretch and contract accurately. He had regained control of his body!
The deafening chants echoed in the hospital room. Ryan tried to clench his fist little by little. His fingers still couldn't straighten completely, and his palm muscles were still stiff. Even a little bit of force required a huge amount of energy, and his fingertips started to tremble slightly.
Push.
Push harder.
Ryan still couldn't clench his fist freely, but this time, he didn't give up. He stared at his fist, gritted his teeth, and kept pushing with his mind. It was getting closer, and closer. Just clenching his fist made his entire body tremble violently. It was like a battle between his mind and his body. Even though it was difficult and hard, he still refused to surrender!
Finally.
His fingertips finally curled into his palm. He clenched it with all his strength, then clenched it even more, firmly holding his destiny in his hands.
Then, he raised his right hand high!
"Fight. On."
Ryan's voice was still slurred, and he couldn't even articulate his words correctly. Saying just two syllables was incredibly difficult. But he stubbornly and tenaciously held up his right hand and chanted again and again. His voice finally broke free from the constraints of his throat, and like a waking lion, he roared out the unyielding will from the depths of his soul.
"Fight! On!"
Roar! Roar again!
One roar after another, a continuous roar. One burst of passion after another, a never-ending explosion. The soaring fighting spirit began to rise powerfully and climb steadily. It was as if his soul had started to burn. As he roared, tears broke free from his eyes and wet his face in a mess.
But a long-lost smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth. It bloomed freely and brightly. Then he roared in a state of ecstasy, "Fight on! Fight on! Fight on!"
Just like that, Ryan joined the golden ocean in Candlestick Park, roaring out his unyielding spirit from the depths of his soul. He refused to lose. He refused to give up. He was a Niner, a Niner who would always hold his head high and face the battle with his chest out. He was ready to fight destiny again.
Jonathan, who was standing behind him, watched the scene in front of him. Whether it was the golden ocean on the television screen or Ryan's passionate roar, the harmony between them was so beautiful and moving that Jonathan's eyes started to turn red again. It was truly a mess.
To avoid being even more embarrassed, Jonathan also clenched his fists tightly and chanted with Ryan.
But this was not Candlestick Park, after all. Jonathan couldn't help but feel a little shy. Without his teammates, being in a quiet hospital environment, he still felt a little restrained and worried after he opened his mouth. What if his chanting disturbed other patients? What if their noise had a bad effect? What if they woke up the patients who were resting? What then?
But Ryan didn't care at all. He just chanted in a state of ecstasy, one after another, so lonely, so weak, so faint, but he never gave up. He kept making a sound, raising his fighting spirit little by little. His frail shoulders looked so upright at this moment.
Jonathan gradually found his voice. The moment his voice broke through his throat and he shouted, a smile also bloomed at the corner of his mouth. His mood lifted, and he soared on the wind.
"Fight on!"
Jonathan and Ryan were like two idiots, raising their arms and shouting together. When their eyes met, they both became excited. In a daze, they felt like they were back in Candlestick Park, joining all the Niners, enjoying the game and the victory to their hearts' content.
The two voices seemed to be inconspicuous, but they stood out in the quiet hospital wing.
One after another, the family members in the hospital rooms poked their heads out, curiously looking at the commotion in the hallway. The nurse on duty at the nurses' station immediately ran out, apologizing and telling them to stop, trying her best to control the situation and stop the chaos before it could spread.
"Wait, wait."
Unexpectedly, a bystander called out to the nurse. As the nurse was caught off guard, other bystanders on both sides of the hallway also spoke up, "Wait."
The nurse finally stopped. She looked a little impatient and asked, "What is it?"
"Just let it be."
"Let's just enjoy this victory."
"That's Ryan Baldwin, isn't it?"
"This is his afternoon."
"We also love this game. Just let everyone enjoy it."
"Yeah, that's right."
The chatter came and went. The nurse's footsteps had completely stopped. She looked at the group of family members in front of her with her mouth agape. "This... this is not right. What if it affects the patients' rest?"
The family members looked at each other, not knowing how to answer. In the end, a patient with an IV pole walked out, gave a weak smile, and broke the short silence.
"What is more touching than a victory? The patients who live here are almost all people who are walking toward death, waiting to die. Maybe we all need a little motivation, not just Ryan. God, to be honest, I'm a little jealous of Ryan. How great would it be if this victory was for me?"
No one said a word. The hallway became quiet again. The Baldwin brothers' voices once again became a little louder, "Fight on."
That passionate emotion echoed in the room, leaking out from the tightly closed door. It was faint but firm. Then, the patient was seen dragging his IV pole, slowly walking to the side of the door, and leaning against the wall, as if he needed a little support to stand. He quietly put his ear against the door and listened.
He whispered, "Fight on, fight on."
But his voice was too low for others to hear clearly, and they couldn't see his lips move. It was impossible to tell what he was saying, but his expression revealed a sense of peace and comfort. He seemed to be enjoying this moment, like a dying person greedily breathing in the air of life. He breathed in a little harder, and a little harder.
Everyone else stood there, including the nurse.
Quietly, their mood involuntarily started to get better. For a moment, they had the illusion that the gloom that had been hanging over the hospital wing had quietly torn open, letting in a ray of golden sunlight. It was warm and relaxing, and they couldn't help but poke their heads out and gather at Ryan Baldwin's hospital room door, looking at the small screen in the room, and quietly watching that brilliant and dazzling golden ocean.
The patients who were obediently lying on their hospital beds in the other rooms couldn't help but close their eyes and mouths, letting their sense of hearing be amplified, and carefully catching the hint of hope in the air. Even if it was just a faint hint of hope, they would hold on to it tightly.
Life is a miracle, and no one should give up easily. Even with the inevitable cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death, one can't easily declare the ending until they have given it their all.
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