I want you to do me a favour. Lucy is ill; that is, she has no special disease, but she looks awful…I told her I should ask you to see her…she finally consented.
– Bram Stoker
Dracula, Chapter 9. Arthur Holmwood requests help from Dr. Seward on behalf of his sick fiancée Lucy, whom he is worried about. She is falling into weakness and illness, with no known or obvious cause. The meeting between Arthur and Seward regarding Lucy is an example of how the men in the novel work to protect and defend the health and security of their women.