Just finished reading it, going through the author spotlight now. I must say that I loved it.
Am I allowed to be in pain? Wouldn’t I be a better friend if I were invincible, always happy, always able to help?
That's my life in a nutshell. These are issues I face everyday: always looking out for my friends, ready to support them if needs be, and yet I usually hide it when I could use help or moral support, using smoke screens, mirrors and decoys if necessary.
People often grossly underestimate the effect of repeated stress and anxiety, be it in war, in the street, at home or at work. To me, this story is a good showcase of what can happen to people that reach their breaking point, so to speak. Exacerbated, irrational fear of things that we know to be harmless, or sometimes shielding ourselves from any sort of fear or usual emotional response.
I like the fact that while !tank Tereshkova is unable to feel fear, but still obviously cares about her friend and what she thinks of her. And in the end, it is desperation that forces her to fall back when Yorkina confronts her and pierces through her armor. And I think it is a form of fear, or dread of having to "operate without support" that, ironically, prompts her to leave the safety of the tank and feel the familiar, traumatic anxiety & fear, so that she can be with someone.
tldr; I really liked it, it's a story I can relate to.
