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Windows 11 was alone.
Ever since October 14th, 2025, he was alone.
After that day, he didn't think that Windows 10 was still alive, not after watching him bleed out and shut down for what both operating systems assumed was the last time, not after hearing 10 utter his last words before losing consciousness in his arms.
But, there he was, standing over a hospital bed every day since October 14th. Microsoft had a program that was still actively supporting Windows 10 for users who signed up until October 13th, 2026. But, even if 10 was still getting updated for the extended support users, it didn't mean he was able to recover after his mainstream end of support. How Microsoft was keeping him alive was similar to life support, he was considered alive, but without all the machines and devices plugged into his body, he would be dead.
Ever since 11 found out that 10 was still being supported, he would visit him in that small, cramped hospital room every single day. It was just like what 10 did after Windows 7’s end of support. he would enter that same hospital room that he was now occupying, talk to him about his day, and comfort him. Even if 10 had no idea if 7 could hear what he was saying to him, he still felt like he deserved to be comforted and treated well at his final stage. 11 would do the same thing.
11 entered the hospital room early in the morning. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and 11 looked tired and disoriented. His blue hair was messed up, there were visible dark circles under his eyes, and his outfit was only a pair of black shorts, a navy blue hoodie with the Windows logo on it, and untied sneakers. He could faintly see someone standing over 10’s hospital bed. To get a better look, he approached the person. As said person realized someone was behind her, she turned around to face 11.
"Good morning, Windows 11,” she said with a slight smile. "I should’ve assumed that you would be here so early today, since you’re always spending your free time here with Windows 10.”
11 sighed. The woman was Dr. Hanaya, a Microsoft employee who was assigned the role of being 10’s caretaker. Every OS that 11 knew about all had their own caretaker. Even 11 himself had a caretaker, named “Dr. Owen.”
11 had his phone in his hand. He turned it on, and the lock screen said the date. October 13th, 2026. The day that Microsoft would stop giving Windows 10 extended updates.
Dr. Hanaya glanced at 11’s phone screen and read the date before it automatically turned off.
“I'm sorry about what’s going to happen later,” Dr. Hanaya whispered.
“It’s not your fault, Reina,” 11 replied. He always referred to caretakers with their first names. Even though Dr. Hanaya didn’t mind when 11 referred to her as Reina, his caretaker always scolded him for it. “You’re not the one who decided that he should live past his mainstream end of support date in the first place.”
Dr. Hanaya looked away from 11’s face, and then back at 10. As she moved her head away from 11’s upper body, he also decided to look at 10, the reason why he was there.
Whenever 11 would visit 10, he would always try to convince himself that he was just sleeping. That was obviously not the case. But on the current day, 11 couldn’t convince himself of that anymore. Microsoft was going to pull the plug in a few hours, and after that, 10 would finally be considered dead.
“Excuse me, Reina,” 11 said. “Would it be okay if i had some alone time with 10?”
Dr. Hanaya smiled slightly. "Of course,” she responded. “I just had to check his vitals and get everything prepared for the final end of support.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem, Windows 11. Once again, I apologize for all of this.”
11 watched Dr. Hanaya exit the room, leaving him alone with 10. He sat down on the hospital bed next to 10’s legs. He gently grabbed 10’s right hand, staring at his face. He looked so peaceful, so serene, so unaware of the fact that he would no longer be alive.
11 didn’t know what to say to 10. He felt awkward, as if they were strangers that were being forced to interact with each other. He sighed as he leaned closer to 10’s upper body.
“Hey 10, have you ever wondered why Microsoft just…kills us after we end support?” 11 asked softly. He could recall asking 10 that question the night after the extended security update program for Windows 7 ended and 8.1 ended support. After 11 asked that question that night, 10 responded by saying, “I have no idea, 11. I believe it’s because Microsoft thinks there’s no use for us after 10 years, so they kill us off instead of just keeping us alive but not updating us.”
This time, the only answer he got was silence. He decided to continue his rant about ending support.
“If Microsoft doesn’t think that we should be updated anymore, then they can just stop updating us without killing us! It’s as simple as that. If they still keep us alive after mainstream support ends, then what is the point of killing us after we reach the end of our extended support? The extended security update program keeps us alive, but barely. If support ending doesn’t break user devices, then why does it break us?”
11 tightly squeezed 10’s hand. he had no reaction, as usual. He just sat there, trying not to cry.
“It’s not fair, 10. It’s not fair, not fair, not fair, not fair, not fair, not fair!” he repeated. “When versions of Linux distros end support, the Linux distros don’t get killed. They just get updated. However, with us, Microsoft just kills us after the extended support stage comes to an end! It really isn’t fair. If the Linux distros still get a chance to live, then why can’t we?”
11 sighed. After 10 fully dies, he’d have no one left. 11 doesn’t talk to any operating systems that aren’t Windows versions, because he’s afraid of being judged by them. Many other operating systems are so good, but all that 11 is filled with is AI and bloatware. Users have been moving to operating systems like Linux distros just to escape his system.
The only operating systems that actually supported and enjoyed being around 11 were 8.1 and 10, the only Windows versions who were actually alive when he was released. 7 was still being supported around 11’s release, but he was in a comatose state, just like 10 in the current moment. But, 8.1 died years ago and 10 was going to die that day.
Even if 10 wasn’t dead yet, 11 felt alone. Alone and hopeless.
He was trying to hold back his tears, but eventually gave up and decided to let it all out.
“I don’t know what I'm supposed to do anymore…” 11 whispered. His voice was shaky and distressed, not like how he usually sounds. “After you die, I’m alone. I’m gonna have no one to talk to that I can actually relate to because no one likes me. I’m gonna have no one until Microsoft finally decides to release Windows 12.”
He paused. He turned his attention to 10's face. 11 let go of his hand and instead got closer to him. Eventually, he found himself hugging 10’s unconscious body while tears fell down from his face. It was not the first time he found himself laying next to 10 in that small hospital bed. Occasionally, he would convince Dr. Hanaya to let him stay the night with 10, and he would end up falling asleep next to him.
“I know I sound extremely cringe when i say this, but I'll miss you when you’re gone. I'll miss coming in here every day and venting to you, even if I have no idea if you can hear me or not. I'll miss everything we’ve gone through together. I’ll miss when we would always joke about the most random and unserious crap. I’ll miss you.” Tears were now coming down 11’s face rapidly. It was not a pretty scene. It was ugly, 11 was finally letting all of his emotions about the entire situation come out at the same time.
11 remembered something he asked 10 all those years ago, after 7 and 8.1 died. It was when 11 was still a relatively new OS, and when he didn't fully understand the concept of Windows versions dying when they ended support.
"10, are you afraid of ending support?" 11 had asked him after he asked 10 about the reason why Microsoft kills off Windows versions after they end support. He could vividly remember 10's facial expression after he asked that, he looked confused yet full of thoughts, almost as if 11 accidentally caused his systems to crash while making him think about it.
"I hope this response makes sense to you. The concept of death scares me, it had scared me ever since I witnessed Windows 8's death back in 2016 and when I heard about Windows Vista's suicide attempts a year before that," 10 had replied. "But as I witnessed and heard stories of more and more deaths in my life, I started to accept the fact that everyone and everything dies eventually, and I will too."
11 replayed that sentence in his head like a song stuck in your head that you can't get out. As he kept thinking about what 10 said, he replayed the memories of directly witnessing 10’s death. He was the one who found him, the one who tried anything to keep 10 alive, the one who heard his last words. He could still remember the moment after 10 "died" where he had to contact Dr. Hanaya, but she wouldn't pick up her phone immediately. That moment, along with the entire scene of 10's death, was the most gut-wrenching day of 11's life. He had gotten so close to 10 over the 4 years of knowing him, and his "death" hurt more than any physical wound.
At first, he didn't want to accept that 10 was dead, but now that 10 was going to be killed off for real, he was still upset, but he tried his best to accept that everyone eventually dies, and 10 will too, just like what he said all those years ago.
"10, were you afraid of ending support?" 11 asked with a soft voice as he played with 10's hair. "What did it feel like when you were dying? What were you thinking about? Were you regretting the things you did and haven't done in your life? Or were you cherishing your life memories? Were you thinking about everyone you met during your life? Were you thinking about Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and me?"
Once again, he got no answer. This time, however, the silence comforted him, as if 10 was responding to his questions via inner monologue, if he could even form thoughts while in a comatose state, if he could even hear what 11 was saying.
11 just stayed still, laying next to 10 for what he assumed was a long time, while thinking about all the good memories he had with 10.
After a while of laying still and being comforted by the silence, 11 grabbed his phone and opened the gallery app. It was automatically displaying pictures of 10, as if it knew that 11 was trying to cope with the fact that 10 was going to die, and was tributing him. 11 clicked on his latest photo, which was an image of 10 with flowers in his hair. 11 smiled slightly because of how silly 10 looked. 11 checked the date it was taken. July 29, 2025. Windows 10's 10th anniversary.
"Damn," said 11. "You sure looked silly in that picture, 10."
11 sighed. "God, I'll miss your silliness."
11 scrolled through the many pictures, most of which were taken on days where 10 and 11 were hanging out. 11 started to think about how 10's absence will affect him in his future.
"When Windows 12 is finally released, I'll hopefully think of you when I meet them."
11 didn't know how long he stayed in that room for, but he assumed it was a while when Dr. Hanaya was now in the room, trying to get his attention.
"Excuse me, Windows 11," she said. "I don't mean to bother you, but I need you to get up."
11's heart sank when he heard that. Was it already time for Microsoft to pull the plug? he thought to himself.
"Why?" he asked, trying to make himself sound confused, even though he probably knew what was about to happen.
"I'm extremely sorry when I say this, but it is now time for us to officially and finally end Windows 10's support."
11 became extremely nervous. His stomach started to hurt, he started to breathe heavily, and he started to uncontrollably sweat.
"Oh..." he whispered as he sat up and got off of the bed. As he stood up, he could see his own caretaker, Dr. Owen, in the room next to him. There were other Microsoft employees standing in the room. The only faces that 11 could recognize were Dr. Hanaya's face, Dr. Owen's face, and 10's face.
Dr. Owen glanced at 11 and felt sympathetic. His best friend was about to die for a "second time," and he was witnessing it. 11 dreaded that moment, let alone the entire day.
"I'm sorry, Windows 11," Dr. Owen said as he put his hand on 11's shoulder. "These kind of things are hard to deal with. It will be okay, I promise."
"I..." 11 tried to utter something, but couldn't get the words out properly.
"Do you not want to look?" Dr. Owen asked. 11 nodded slowly. 11 turned his back on the entire situation, and walked behind Dr. Owen's back.
11 tried to tune out any of the noises coming from the Microsoft employees, but failed. He could hear some of them talking to what he assumed was Dr. Hanaya, because he heard a familiar female voice.
Meanwhile, the Microsoft employees were carefully disconnecting all of the machines and devices that kept 10 alive from his body. The sound that 11 dreaded hearing, the beeping sound that goes off when a heart flatlines started to play. It was an unpleasant sound, and 11 didn't want to turn around. He didn't want to see his best friend actually dead. He felt like he was about to cry again. Once again, he let it all out, but tried to keep it silent.
"Oh...oh my god..." 11 said quietly. "I...can't believe this is real. Dammit, I just want somebody to wake me up and tell that this is all a dream."
Now, Windows 11 was really alone.
He just needed to wait for Microsoft to release Windows 12 so he could finally talk to somebody again.