I could picture somebody like Nichols snorting some speed, possibly for the first time, and having his mindset change gears and see the futility of the murderous crime spree he was caught up in. Meth, combined with the influence of Ashley Smith's soothing, sympathetic words and demeanor (actually, she was terrified), temporarily repaired something in this person's brain that was dormant, or frequently unreachable, for a long time.

Before anti-depressants and anti-anxiety chemicals became the norm, amphetamine-type drugs were used extensively to treat depression, fatigue, various emotional problems, and other conditions such as obesity. Ms. Smith was lucky she had some around that day, because it very likely saved her life.