On the other hand, Shawn's father's words show that he is still unsure as to what is the right thing to do, so maybe he does not kill his son at the end of the book. There is a moment where Shawn's and his father's eyes lock, and they
"are somehow together again...in all (Shawn's) life (they) have never been like this before."
It can be argued that perhaps in that moment, father and son experience a connection, and Shawn's father might have seen the life that exists so vibrantly in the damaged body. Perhaps, in the moments before the final seizure, Shawn's silent declaration of love for his father is heard, and his father does not, in fact, kill his son (Chapter 16).