Mark's day

Mark is on the Apex floor at six-fifteen when a podcast clip bleeds from someone's speaker near the bench — Dean Voss's name twice, then 'swimmer playing boxer,' then the September card at Caulfield Town Hall. Mark pockets his phone, steps into the cinder-block corridor, and calls Lou Cassar before the sentence finishes; Lou picks up on one ring. Six rounds, headliner, Voss in the other corner — Mark says yeah to all of it and hangs up with the contract in his pocket. On his way back onto the floor his trailing foot catches the rim of the mop bucket Danny left by the wall, the bucket tips and the grey water slops across his runners, and Mark has to grab the doorframe hard with his left hand to keep from going down. The shoulder takes the full weight of the save. Inside, Josh — still taping his hands — stands up too fast and his elbow catches Mark on the bad shoulder as they cross; Mark doesn't react, finishes his water at the bench, and tapes his hands for the bag session.