You are answering a USMLE-style medical question. Question: An otherwise healthy 15-year-old boy presents to the emergency department with extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. His temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F), the blood pressure is 100/60 mm Hg and the pulse is 100/min. Past medical history is noncontributory and he takes no medication. His father and aunt both suffer from mild anemia. On examination, he is very pale and his spleen is enlarged. His hemoglobin is 5 g/dL and platelet count is slightly reduced. His peripheral blood smear is shown in the picture. Over the next 2 weeks, the patient recovers, and his hemoglobin is 11 g/dL. Which of the following best represents the pattern of inheritance of this patient underlying disorder? Options: A) Autosomal dominant B) X-linked recessive C) X-linked dominant D) Multifactorial Reply with ONLY the letter of the correct answer (A, B, C, or D). No explanation.