A/N: Well, I'm back! After years of silence in the fanfiction corner, Trollhunters has triggered a return to one of my first ever areas of writing. So I ask for a little forgiveness if I'm a little rusty, lol! Just a random fic idea that hit me when I got an image in my brain that wouldn't let go, typed out over the span of about five days, partially on my phone. I think I've gotten all the spelling issues, but I admit some may have slipped past me. No pairings, just sick!Jim and fatherly!Blinky. (I love him in a fatherly role concerning the Trollhunter!) I hope you enjoy! If it seems my grasp on the Trollhunters characters gets approval, I might forge ahead with a few other stories I have spinning around in my word files.

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The Heroes' Forge, the place where many a Trollhunter had honed their skills over the ages. Set with dangerous, even deadly, obstacles and traps that sprang from the walls, ceiling, and floor at the pull of a lever, the open space was considered sacred to the Trolls of Trollmarket.

And it was currently the training ground of the current (and first human) Trollhunter, Jim. In the time since the young man had become Trollhunter Jim's skills with his sword had increased by leaps and bounds. Where at first he had spent much of his training sessions running from danger with cries of fear now he easily called his sword to his hand to clash with Draal or pursue Aaarrrggghh! through swinging blades and across spinning gears, holding his own in any challenge quite well. His mentor, Blinky, was in particular proud of his human friend, though they all were for his amazing progress.

Which was what made what Blinky all the more concerned today when he realized that for some reason today Jim wasn't quite living up to his own standards. Everything had started out normally. Jim, Toby, and Claire had showed up to train, and though Jim had brought a water bottle tucked in his backpack with him the scholarly Troll had thought nothing of it. He had praised the act, in fact, citing how thirsty Jim always seemed after training and to have the water on hand would undeniably be an assistance. Toby and Claire both had given Jim odd looks as they'd parted ways for their respective training, but neither had commented and for the first hour and a half or so Jim had paced Draal well. But now Blinky we beginning to see that Jim was tiring far too soon for his usual training sessions. His swings were slow, easy for the warrior Troll to dodge and his parries weak, off-balance. And when Draal would inevitably knock the human to the stone floor, Jim got up only after a moment, seeming to need to catch his breath first.

"This is odd," murmured Blinky to himself, all six eyes darting over Jim as the Trollhunter once again climbed to his feet, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Perhaps something is distracting him?"

"This is not like you, Trollhunter," Draal was saying as Jim set himself for the next clash of blades. "Just so you know, trying to make your opponent believe falsely that you are weaker than you are is a tactic that will often get you killed."

"I'm fine," Jim replied, panting. "Let's go."

Hearing footsteps behind him Blinky turned to see Toby joining him.

"How was your training, Tobias?" he asked with a smile, though he noticed that the stout teen was looking at his best friend with concern. "I believe Aaarrrggghh! was going to test you on how long you could keep him away from an objective, correct?"

"It went okay," was the distracted reply. "I needed a break." Aaarrrggghh! rumbled an agreement as he came to join them. The big Troll watched the sparring session before them a moment, then looked at Blinky.

"Jim slow."

"Yes, I noticed that myself. Perhaps Master Jim's heart isn't into his training today?" The trio couldn't help wincing as Draal happened to catch Jim by a particularly hard blow, sending him tumbling. The Trollhunter was quick to get up at least, sensing that the son of the previous Trollhunter wasn't about to let up, and blocked just in time. He pushed clear, darting back to give himself some space and Draal noticed coughing once before resetting. Another time blade met blade, a twist from Draal turned Jim's sword aside and he came in for a strike at his opponent's shoulders. Jim handily dodged, bending over... but it wasn't because of his skills, a thing Draal realized a moment later as Jim dropped his sword and stumbled backwards, an armoured fist to his lips as he was taken by a coughing fit.

"Jim?" Draal lowered his sword as Jim continued to cough, focus utterly shattering so that he lost his armor, then much to all of their alarm he dropped to his knees, seemingly fighting to draw breath against the hard internal convulsions.

"Master Jim!"

"Jimbo!" The three on the sidelines ran over as Jim started hitting himself on the chest, trying to clear his airway. He glanced their way - Blinky was highly alarmed to see tears rimming his eyes from the struggle for air - and pointed towards his bag by the door.

"Your backpack - ah! Your water!" As Toby reached his friend and gave a couple thumps with his fist against Jim's back Blinky ran back up the backpack, grabbed the water bottle, and ran to Jim's side. Thankfully by this time the fit was fading, just a few coughs sputtering from Jim's lips. He drew in a wheezing breath, then managed to sip some of the water before finally drawing a clear breath and sitting up to lean back with a sigh.

"Master Jim," Blinky asked softly, "are you alright?"

"Choking?" Aaarrrggghh! asked. Jim shook his head, but it was Toby who answered.

"He's sick."

"It's just a chest cold," Jim clarified before anyone could speak up. "Nothing serious. I took something to help earlier, but I suppose it just wore off." He rummaged around in his backpack until he found a plastic bottle, opening it to remove two pills and swallowing them with a drink of water, then doing the same with a pair of blue pills from a shiny foil packet.

"Master Jim," Blinky scolded in a reprimanding yet concerned tone, "while I understand your training is important both to you and to us, for you to jeopardise your health by training when you are less-than-at-your-best is foolish. There are other ways to train that would be easier on you."

"I know, but a Trollhunter can't call in sick, Blinky. I have to be able to function if something happens, no matter how I'm feeling." He got to his feet, taking a deep breath. "Ok, let's go again. For the glory of Merlin -" Jim was silenced suddenly as Aaarrrggghh! put a large hand over the teen's mouth.

"I agree with Aaarrrggghh!." Blinky folded his lower hands, gesturing with his upper pair as he spoke. "You have a point that you may have to one day battle while ill, but training yourself to the point of injury or collapse will not help. You have done enough for today." Seeing that even Draal, usually always up for more mock-battles, was sheathing his blade Jim knew he was outvoted. He sighed as Aaarrrggghh removed his hand, then nodded.

"Alright." He put the Amulet away. "At least I can always study some in the library."

"That you can. Come, Master Jim." Blinky led the way back to the library, though Draal opted to remain in the Heroes' Forge for some personal training, and they spent the remaining time together surrounded by the accumulated lore of trollkind.

But as Jim left, having had another considerably milder coughing fit and assuring his friends that he was fine, Blinky couldn't help but worry.